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Remove embedded reporters
To the Editor:
I believe strongly, as a former military man and a 30-year retired police officer, that the military should rid our military units of embedded reporters and cameramen.
Those kids we sent over to be killed are in a war; they are not cops in big city USA arresting burglars with "action news" tagging along to make the 6 p.m. news.
There is a big difference between policing and fighting a war. The actions of the Marine were justified in my opinion. He was in fear of his safety and that of his platoon members, and he acted properly considering the known antics of the insurgents and militants in that insane part of the world. The news crew involved should have turned off the camera. All they did was give the terrorists more propaganda against the United States and the military. Here is an e-mail that I received from a friend of mine who is serving in Iraq and I agree entirely. I wrote and told him that Bill O'Reilly was backing the Marine to the hilt, when it seems the other news outlets and playing it for all it's worth.
"I am occasionally able to catch (O'Reilly) on the Armed Forces Network. I saw FOX network put forth good coverage on it, where other networks looked like they were setting the Marine up for the coup de grace. That cameraman/reporter probably couldn't wait to get that footage out because it would get him some recognition in his world. He probably didn't even consider the fact that the same Marine would have saved his life in that scenario if the insurgent had booby-trapped himself. Pathetic people."
Get the embedded reporters out of the war zone. They help the enemy more that us, and they demoralize the military with their news reports intended to sell more beer and panty hose on television.
Martin Beatty
Cashiers
Sylva workers are top-notch
To the Editor:
After finding out that our town of Sylva maintenance staff saved our town $12,000 by making repairs to Allen Street, I just had to write.
This is but one example of how capable and dedicated our town maintenance staff is, and how much we rely on them to "just get it done."
It is all too easy to take the work of the town staff for granted, but you know, they deserve appreciation for not only this job, but all of the little extras that they do every day. Sylva is blessed to have a staff of competent people who always seem to go the extra mile to make Sylva a wonderful place to live and work.
On behalf of the entire board of directors of Sylva Partners in Renewal, as the Town of Sylva prepares to begin work on Mill Street, which is part of next phase of the master plan for revitalization, we want to remind everyone that our town has a great team of people working hard to keep up with ever-growing demands.
Linda Gillman
Sylva
'Moral' values?
To the Editor:
Perhaps this year's election is old news, but when I saw some of the so-called "moral" and "ethical" things that our GOP-controlled Congress and president have initiated in the last week I just had to sound off. Supposedly Mr. Bush and the GOP majority were put in office because of their so-called "moral" values.
Well, is voting to raise the nation's debt ceiling from $800 billion to $8.1 trillion and expecting the average taxpaying citizen to pay it off "moral?" Never mind that the bill to raise the debt ceiling drastically reduces any funding for the environment, health care and many other issues affecting the everyday person. I guess having clean air and water and access to quality health care doesn't fit in with their "moral" agenda of bombing Iraq and giving tax cuts to the wealthy.
The other "moral" and "ethical" thing they did was suddenly change an 11-year-old rule stating that party leadership would step down if indicted. Once House Majority Leader Tom DeLay is told he might face indictment as a result of a probe into the financing of legislative races in Texas, they move to change the rule. This is the same party that couldn't stop saying enough about Bill Clinton's "immoral" behavior.
I was always taught that what was good for the goose was good for the gander, but then what does an "immoral" Democrat like me know?
Betty Dishman
Sylva
Disagrees with Herald editorial
To the Editor:
I am afraid I must disagree with The Herald's editorial of last week.
I suppose that I would be labeled far-left, yet I find a much greater wisdom in the Nov. 11 letter by Cornelia Waldrum, a self–proclaimed conservative Christian, than I do in the Herald's editorial. I do not believe the results of the election can be attributed to a candidate too far left, morals, or family values.
Hopefully, America can be more honest with itself than that.
We read now that Massachusetts, that incredibly liberal state, has the lowest divorce rate in the country. We find that nearly all the blue, liberal states are much better at preserving the traditional institution of marriage than are the red states. Could it be that most conservatives hold an idea of what their values are, and what liberal values are, that do not match reality?
But to fully understand what is happening in America I think we have to be willing to look at ourselves from a far broader perspective. I would recommend two recent books, The United States of Europe and European Dream.
I'm afraid most Americans, not just religious conservatives, hold ideas about America that do not match reality. Americans have an image of themselves as the leaders of the free world and the finest example of democracy, but are these images real? I suspect few Americans realize that the European Union now includes a population larger than the U.S., with a larger market, and a larger gross domestic product. A few years ago most U.S. experts said E.U. conversion to a common currency would never work. Since then the Euro has gained 50 percent in value against the falling U.S. dollar. The E.U. has more votes on United Nations and world trade matters. It contributes more foreign aid to developing countries. It now owns a higher percentage of the big, multinational corporations than the U.S.
The form of democracy within the E.U. is very different from our own. Most E.U. countries have health care which is free or inexpensive for everyone. They consider affordable health care a human right. And although our politicians keep telling us we have the best health care in the world, life expectancy in the E.U. is longer and child mortality lower. Obesity rates are a fraction of ours.
The U.S. spends far more on law enforcement, courts and prisons, but still has much more violent crime. Education rates in the E.U. are higher, with college free or inexpensive. Europeans have stricter environmental laws, less pollution, less solid waste and are far more energy efficient. The inequality between rich and poor is far smaller. Their national deficits are lower.
The Europeans are creating a world superpower based not upon the American idea that everyone has equal opportunity to become rich (since most never will and many are left in poverty), but that they will all live better if they work to raise everyone's standard of living together.
Of course, the Europeans pay much higher taxes, but if anyone really cares about moral values, or family values, aren't Americans also willing to pay to support such values? Europeans work fewer hours and get much more family vacation time. Less crime, less poverty, less pollution, better health care ... aren't these exactly the sorts of things that support families?
The Herald suggests a moderate democrat run for president, but the Europeans are successfully following a policy that would probably be considered far more liberal than Kerry's.
After the election, I was left feeling depressed that my country seemed determined to continue to lead the world into a downward spiral of increased pollution, poverty, national bankruptcy and misguided military efforts, but I was wrong. Thankfully, the U.S. isn't leading the world any more. The world has begun to stop following the U.S. and is beginning to see the U.S. as an arrogant, self–destructive bully.
The E.U. is becoming the model for democracy. With U.S. debt increasing irresponsibly, the dollar losing value and the U.S. losing world respect, the Euro may soon become the new world currency.
We do not need a moderate democrat. We need to set aside our American delusions of grandeur and be willing to take a long, humbling look at where American democracy has left us.
We desperately need to be willing to consider other nations' ideas that are proving to work better.
Robert Franz
Whittier
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