Stripes letters: Writer showed moral courage/All about freedom of choice

[lebkuchen]

Writer showed moral courage

The numerous responses I have read to “War based on a lie” (letter, Nov. 28) have all been negative, which included attacks on the writer’s integrity and loyalty. I think that the writer’s letter reflects a lot of moral courage. Everyone has a freedom to express their beliefs, and speaking out on controversial issues should not be a reason for people with dissenting views to place personal attacks on the messenger.

I saw nothing disloyal or discrediting to the Army in his letter. People (regardless of their status) expressing their heartfelt opinions about our actions in Iraq should not be subject to personal attacks on their credibility, patriotism and loyalty to their country. Also, there are many senior officers in the military who have similar views but have not publicized them for this reason.

Chief Petty Officer Bernard Michael Burawski (retired)
Altamonte Springs, Fla.


All about freedom of choice

After reading the letters to the editor, here are some of my observations:

If you think any comic strip is inappropriate for your child, then preview the reading material before handing it over and, if need be, cut out the one you deem offensive. This is a newspaper for adult readers. I, for one, do not want the content of any section determined by what some readers find child appropriate. There is a designated kids’ page on Sundays.

If you dislike some of the new comic strips, skip them. Most of the ones Stars and Stripes dropped were outdated. I could do without some of the new ones and just skip over the ones I don’t care for. It is impossible to please all of the people all of the time.

If you belong to the venom-spouting right, are a neo-con or some Christian fundamentalist, it’s heart-warming how you tout American values, one of them being freedom of speech, and in the same breath take that freedom from those of us with diverging opinions and have the audacity to label everything not fitting into your little view of the world “unpatriotic.” Remember, military families come from all kinds of backgrounds, and our political opinions span the entire spectrum, from liberal to conservative and all shades in between. I am glad Stripes has not lowered itself to simply be a propaganda rag but tries to report and inform from a variety of sources.

Manuela Phillips
St. Leon-Rot, Germany

http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=33558