Lawmakers abusing our warriors

9/26/2007

The longest, most dangerous, dehumanizing, demoralizing, unhealthy, unhappy, and totally wasted year of my life was 1970, which I spent with the U.S. Army in Vietnam.

The current bunch of Republicans in the administration, Congress, and Senate don't have the experience or moral authority to control treatment of U.S. troops abroad, let alone to rate a vote on recycling them. Republicans filibuster against the Democrats' common-sense approach for humane treatment of the very troops Republicans profess to be supporting. Equal time at home to heal as the time spent in danger on foreign soil is so minimal a request. Unbelievable.

Republicans have been called "chicken hawks" because they are gleefully willing to send others to war while never having served themselves. Maybe they were too valuable to be wasted. Heaven forbid their kids go.

Maybe if these respected leaders had had a personal taste of war, they would not be so willing to unmercifully abuse these truly patriotic Americans. Being kept in the "meat grinder" for as long as it takes, with multiple tours of combat and no end in sight, is so criminally unconscionable. Extending tour-of-duty lengths from 12 to 15 months during a current tour is, at best, sadistic.

National Guardsmen enrolled to protect our shores from invasion and perform disaster relief when needed, not to be used as invading army regulars. Will future Guardsmen step up?

If America constantly needs to go to war, maybe only people with real war experience should be elected legislators. Of the pitifully few legislators with war experience Republican and Democrat alike, only one or two think this war is remotely justifiable. The majority of elected veterans vote like they talk, against this war with conviction and without fear.

W. F. Hoffmann

Elmore, Ohio

To go or stay in Iraq is difficult decision

Our nation is faced with a terrible decision - whether or not to pull our troops out of Iraq now or continue to fight. It will be a fateful decision.

If you believe that it is the primary duty of any president to avoid danger to our troops, then it follows that they must come out.

If, however, you believe, as I do, that it is the primary and constitutional duty of the president to do what he deems best for the good of the country, then the troops are but one of his tools, certainly his most valuable, but still only a tool.

The proper decision or choice, it seems to me, is whether it is best and wisest to continue the struggle in the Middle East. Have we interests or friends we should try to protect? Is it best to fight for them? Is al-Qaeda truly the enemy? What would be the consequences of a pullout? Are those consequences acceptable?

Max Powell

Indian Road

George Voinovich certainly got it correct when he said there are limited funds available for the Findlay area because of the ongoing war. Not to mention 50 states that are in need of infrastructure help. It is past time to get out of Iraq; getting out should start at once and should be done in a manner that will protect our soldiers to the maximum.

After that is completed, our leaders should take a long, hard look at what we need to do to fix the many things that have been neglected for years. It does not take rocket scientists to figure out that many things in the United States of America need to be attended to.

Charlie Leininger

Woodville