Geography in military decisions
5/10/2007I read with interest the May 5 Saturday Essay on geography by Prof. David Keeling. I agree that an understanding of geography is very important in deciding our national policies. Especially our military decisions.
However, he suggests, in a veiled way, that he doesn't believe our leaders understand the importance of geography in the military decision-making process.
Even junior non-commissioned officers, sergeants, and staff sergeants, are made aware through professional military education that an integral ingredient of a nation's power is its geography. And understanding the geography of our friends and foes is a vital part of all military strategizing.
Military commands such as Central Command, Pacific Command, Southern Command, etc., are set up so people with expertise in a geographic region can use that expertise advantageously. A notable example: prior to Desert Shield/Desert Storm, Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf had spent about a decade specifically concentrating on the Middle East.
The Army War College, and the war colleges of the different services provide the officers rising through the ranks with intense attention to the geographies they will potentially face.
In fact, the gravity of the military decision compels the military to reach even farther. The Department of Defense partners with other government agencies to incorporate the knowledge of geography with all the elements of a nation's power to provide our civilian leaders with vital decision-making weight through advice.
The essay by Professor Keeling attempts to make it look like our President and/or our military entered wartime operations without an idea of the geographic implications.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Thomas A. Davis
Lansing, Mich.
Harsher sentencing for child pornography
What is it going to take to protect our community's children within the criminal justice system? I was truly shocked that a former University of Toledo executive and Boy Scout scoutmaster received only four years of community control including four months in jail.
What kind of justice is this? It was reported that he had thousands of pornographic images on his computer, and hundreds portrayed children in various stages of nudity, masturbation, and rape, and all we could charge him with is two counts of illegal possession?
Earlier this year a Petersburg, Mich., man got 10 years in prison for possessing only 200 child pornographic images and a Findlay man got almost six years in prison for possessing 22 video clips and 599 images. Apparently those communities are serious about protecting their children.
I know some in this community will say, "Well, he did lose his job."
So what? These children lost an innocence that can never be replaced and he will probably find another job, hopefully in another country.
Until you take the profit out of child pornography, people will continue to prey on our children and grandchildren by buying and trading this material. I can only hope others in this community will become as outraged as I was and demand that we stop coddling the criminals who use our kids for their pleasure.
I would hate to think that not only would we have to check for monsters under the beds and in the closets of our children, but within the criminal justice system that is supposed to protect them.
M.J. Stachura
Rowland Road
Candidate wasn't up-front with board
You recently castigated the Toledo School Board for the way it handled the superintendent negotiations. It looks to me like your scorn was directed at the wrong party.
If William Harner didn't want to live in Toledo and didn't want to send his child to Toledo Public Schools, he should have been up-front with the board and the community and made that representation during his interviews. Those are hot button issues that may well have turned the board toward a different candidate, and I have to believe he knew what he was doing. Had he been hired after pulling that stunt, no one would have trusted him and he would not have had any chance to succeed.
Peter R. Silverman
Barrington Drive
Punished for seeking quality education?
Why did our illustrious school board want to punish William Harner's teenaged daughter for seeking a quality education? This teenager's situation has shown what many of us already know: Toledo students don't have access to the same kind of programs that their peers in suburbia have and that our school board is inept. Maybe we should sublet the direction for our schools to Sylvania or Ottawa Hills!
Timothy Pecsenye
Woodmont Road
Foley's teaching experience helpful
When I read that John Foley, the newly proposed superintendent of the Toledo Public Schools, has experience as a teacher of severely behaviorally disabled students, my first thought was that that should stand him in good stead in dealing with the present members of the Toledo Public Schools Board of Education. Then it occurred to me that comparing these board members to such students was an insult to the students.
Brian J. Harrington
Holly Hill Drive
TPS finally makes the correct decision
Finally, the Toledo Public Schools board makes a smart, informed, correct decision. Had they bothered to think (and saved us all $50,000), they would have known John Foley was the correct and only choice months ago.
Mr. Foley has been a faithful employee for more than 20 years, a member of the Toledo community, and a former teacher. Who better to help the district to the next step. Who better to get the teachers in TPS what they actually deserve - a raise.
Let's take care of our own, while our own takes care of our children.
Maureen Martindale
Scottwood Avenue
Maybe Navarre can add one more hat
Toledo Public Schools Board of Education is a disgrace to the taxpayers of the City of Toledo. Let me echo The Blade: misfeasance, malfeasance, nonfeasance, dysfunction, futility, inept, embarrassing, hapless, and amateurish pretty well describe this crew.
Should they all resign? Absolutely! As soon as possible.
Maybe Toledo's Police/Fire Chief Mike Navarre, if not too busy, could be appointed superintendent.
Robert E. Sawyer
Holland
Jobs in Toledo are hard to come by
Why would a person who has been unemployed for the past 10 months want to stay in Toledo? Are there even any jobs out there that aren't being filled by non-Toledoans? Or as political favors? Well if you know of any, please tell me.
I have a college degree, graduate credits, and an outstanding resume. What else do I need to have to get a job in my hometown? Since I became unemployed, I have sent out 68 resumes to businesses and government entities that had openings, most of which I was well overqualified for. Out of all the resumes I sent, I have had two interviews.
So I ask myself, why do I continue to look in Toledo for a job? I love Toledo. I had left Toledo a few times for work, but I came back because of this city. As I go deeper and deeper in debt, I ask government officials and business in Toledo to really look at the qualifications of applicants and see that some of us want to stay in Toledo.
Christopher M. Knee
Radford Avenue