Letters to the Editor
sorenreport
Published Letters: 77 Editor's Choice: 7
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Man's right to choose
[Read the article: A man's right to choose -- a second take on Dalton Conley]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Have the baby or have an abortion. Only the woman is affected by the pregnancy - thus it must be her decision completely. (By the way, regarding an earlier comment, many women have abortions because it is in the best interest of the potential child - not the woman - as in the case when the fetus is seriously malformed.) Once the baby is born, however, the situation changes drastically. Now, there is a new human being to consider. Child support laws typically assign equal responsibility to the mother and father - and the child deserves nothing less than this. Manjoo simply cannot deny a child its right to be adequately cared for - and the taxpayers, who clearly are not to blame for the situation, should not be stuck with the tab in the form of welfare payments. And yes, if I were a man, I would be extremely careful where I "spread my seed."
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Good for them, but . . .
[Read the article: The antiwar GIs]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]It is encouraging to hear that some in the military are finally speaking up for the enlisted men and women who bear the brunt of the Bush Administration's foreign policy and military disasters. It is - however - less encouraging to know that this effort will not succeed, primarily because America's military culture is so insular and protective of itself. The military - in all it's forms - is largely staffed by members of the mutual admiration society. This culture requires undying loyalty - even in the face of repeated transgressions and mistakes.
Look at what happened to John Kerry after he joined Vietnam Veterans Against the War. His testimony at the Winter Soldier hearings exposed the military's shortcomings and war crimes. For Kerry's trouble, his vilification continues today. A more recent example is the young man who exposed the atrocities at Abu Ghraib. He was drummed out of the military and ostracized by his comrades. John Murtha has also been criticized for airing the dirty laundry of the military. Even claiming to be a victim of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a sign of weakness in a soldier, for it challenges the notion that our men and women have infinite strength and courage.
However, what is truly frightening is the American public's acquiescence in the rampant militarism that is sweeping this great nation. Any perceived slight aimed at our "troops" - no matter how insignificant or truthful - will be met with a mountain of vitriol from all corners and the perpetrator must step down or be drowned in bile.
If this sounds like fascism, you are right.
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Rummy's replacement . . .
[Read the article: Rumsfeld resigns]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]So, now the Defense Department will be run by an ex-CIA guy. Great. In case you don't remember, Robert Gates was implicated in the Iran/Contra investigation, just as he was nominated by George H. Bush to head the CIA. He was not charged - but the Independent Council left open the possibility that he could be if other testimony warranted it. The Council viewed Gates' testimony as "scripted" and "less than candid." Of course, Bush I pardoned so many of the people involved and convicted in Iran/Contra, that it shut down the investigation. Nice.
Gates was also one of Bush's choices to be the new Intelligence Czar, a job that went to John Negroponte - who himself was convicted (and then pardoned) for his role in Iran/Contra.
These guys just won't go away.
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Glad Dickerson is not my neighbor
[Read the article: Not in my backyard, either]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]It's pretty clear that bad neighbors come in all shapes, sizes, and economic backgrounds. Dickerson took it upon herself to "mother" some children, who obviously needed parenting. Yet, she blames them for their unfortunate predicament. It must be tough to have no father and a mom who's troubled. Dickerson should have called social services if she felt the kids were being neglected. But she didn't and instead decided to bad-mouth the kids to the world, forgetting the fact that they are children and at the mercy of the adults in their lives, who apparently would prefer that they just go away.
I couldn't help but be reminded of Barbara Bush's comments after the Katrina hurricane, implying that "those people" should be grateful for the help they are getting and if they are not, well aren’t they terrible! I sense this same condescending attitude in the article. Please don't give to charity - or give out of a sense of charity - and expect something back. If you do, you're really missing the point.
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Mitt is such a phony
[Read the article: The Republican candidates -- and Ann Coulter -- try out their acts]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Mitt Romney’s recent remarks in New Hampshire, as reported in the March 2 Boston Globe, once again prove how out-of-touch he is with reality. After mistakenly referring to the town he was visiting as "Hollis, Massachusetts," he quipped that he should have known he was in New Hampshire because he didn’t have to pay tax on the gum he just bought. Well, Mitt, you wouldn’t pay tax on the gum in Massachusetts, either. Neither food, nor clothing (with some exceptions) is taxed. But of course, the truth is less important than keeping alive the “Taxachusetts” lie.
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"We're all Christians . . ."
[Read the article: Romney and Coulter, BFF?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Yep, if you're a Jew, Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, non-believer - forget it. You're just not welcome here.
Can't make it any plainer than that.
Of course, Romney's real goal to to persuade evangelicals that Mormons like him are true Christians. It's interesting that in "liberal" Massachusetts, Romney's faith was not much of an issue. After all, the state is used to dealing with Catholics who - well - pick and choose which parts of the dogma to follow. But Romney is well aware that the tolerance Massachusetts showed him will not necessarily be repeated across the country.
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"Inactive" is not closed
[Read the article: Fitzgerald: Don't expect more indictments]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]While Fitzgerald says he does "not expect to file any additional charges," he also stated that if "new information comes to us that would warrant us taking some action, we will do that." With Libby's sentencing still to be determined - and possible Congressional investigations - new information may very well be forthcoming.
So, it's not over.