U.S. Sends Military Forces Overseas

As our nation once again sends military forces overseas, I pray that we will all remember the sacrifices they’ll be making for us in the weeks, months and possibly years to come. As I watched news footage of troops saying goodbye to their families, not knowing when (or if) they’ll ever see them again, I was once again overcome with emotion.

Our military veterans are one of this country’s greatest treasures. We should all take a serious look at how our government has treated the men and women who have served this country with distinction and honor. Have we all forgotten how some of our Desert Storm vets came back with a “mysterious illness” and were denied benefits because their illness was deemed “not associated with the war”?

It feels very good to see people pulling together, embracing patriotism and flying the American flag once again. Let’s not forget the veterans who fought and died so that we may fly it . . . proudly.

Tammy A. Clifton

Valley Village

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When one looks at the Taliban regime and its intolerance of religious freedom; its treatment of women; its artistic restrictions and restrictions on clothing, entertainment and lifestyle; it is reasonable to conclude the Taliban is made up of the most horrific people since the Nazis. One should welcome this opportunity to go into Afghanistan with the aid of the Afghanis who oppose the Taliban, capture Osama bin Laden and his co-conspirators or destabilize their network, overthrow the Taliban and leave the country in the hands of its opponents. Then we should get out. We should do this even if it requires drafting men into the military.

Michael L. Stempel

West Hollywood

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The U.S. must be ruthless in its campaign to obliterate international terrorism. As a nation we must be willing to seek out human suffering around the world and eradicate it with overwhelming generosity.

The Pentagon must identify foreign strongholds of poverty and attack them with laser-guided grants of smart money. Religious fanatics must be carpet-bombed with understanding and tolerance until they see the hypocrisy of their own beliefs.

American intelligence assets, mainly college professors, must infiltrate foreign universities to teach courses in political science and women’s studies. Our international allies must be put on notice that if they are not generous and tolerant with their own people, we will not be generous with them.

This anti-terrorist crusade would call for great sacrifices from the American people, but a generous God would certainly be on our side.

Robert Shannon

South Pasadena

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Suddenly, there are many giant sport-utility cars patriotically affixed with American flags. Gas guzzlers and other wasteful energy-use practices are primary reasons why we are in this “war.” Real patriots demand and purchase energy-efficient vehicles and technologies. Doubling mileage standards could alone free us of “evil” Mideast oil. Patriots look past our Afghanistan war dance and demand long-term solutions. Consumers, not patriots, drive guzzlers.

Larry Wilcox

Los Angeles

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In 1989 Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini put a price on author Salman Rushdie’s head for writing “The Satanic Verses,” a book that few Muslims had read but which was alleged to defame Islam.

Now that we have heard from President Bush that the terrorists who kill innocent civilians in the name of Islam blaspheme this peace-loving faith, I expect some Islamic court somewhere will soon condemn to death the terrorists who bombed our country and murdered thousands. I expect that Islamic courts everywhere will attempt to enforce this court order by arresting and executing those who libel their coreligionists.

Marvin J. Wolf

Mar Vista

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As a reformed flower child myself, I too would like to dig out the love beads and ban-the-bomb symbol of the ‘60s and throw myself into what now seems a kinder and gentler decade. It took several years after U.S. military operations began in Vietnam to reach the total of dead and wounded that terrorists created in a couple of hours on Sept. 11. But our self-declared enemy this time cannot be loved into inaction. Inaction is the route we have followed to this sad fork in the road.

Lisalee Anne Wells

Long Beach

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Although I’m fearful that Sept. 11’s events may not be the last acts of terrorism we will see in our country, in this strange new world, I think the terrorists have awakened a sleeping tiger.

John E. Butler

Los Angeles