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The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 22, 2007

Filling A Security Void

Regarding 'Blackwater Doing More Harm Than Good' (Other Views, Oct. 15):
Carl Hiaasen would have more credibility if he was as willing to express the same outrage for the thousands of Iraqis murdered by al-Qaida and their ilk. Additionally, the disingenuous statement regarding 'American soldiers, who did a perfectly good job - and did it much cheaper' reflects Hiaasen's contempt for the military.
VIP protection is not one of the battlefield skills the individual soldier or Marine trains for.

I am not a fan of 'outsourcing;' however, the reduction of the military by the Clinton administration left a much smaller military ground force. Blackwater filled a void that needed to be filled - they have not had anyone killed or seriously injured.

M.J. TEIXEIRA

Tampa

Draft Would Help

The use of a mercenary force such as Blackwater to provide security in the Iraq war is yet another example of the mishandling of this ill-conceived conflict. The reason for using mercenaries is obviously due to insufficient numbers of regular military troops on the ground.

The Bush administration's initial solution to this shortfall was to recycle the same troops over and over with multiple deployments and involuntary extensions of enlistments. The real and difficult solution to the problem is the institution of a selective service draft.

If a war is worth fighting, it is worth asking all Americans to sacrifice to ensure victory. I would vote for any politician, Republican or Democrat, who had the backbone to promote this strategy. Get your heart in it, or get your butt out.

KEN REIKOWSKI

Valrico

Drumbeat Of Defeatism
Conservatism is waning only because of Iraq and the unrelenting war that the Democrats and the mainstream media have waged on the administration and its belief that spreading representative government and embryonic freedom is the best means to defeat the various strains of Islamic extremism that have vexed the free world since the hostage crisis nearly 30 years ago.

Although one wouldn't think that the loss of 1,000 soldiers annually could be construed as an unmitigated disaster, the endless drumbeat of defeatism has made it so. Succeeding by telling people what they want to hear rather than the painful truth is temporary and tenuous.

When modernity and moderation fails in the Middle East, the flow of oil to the industrialized world will stop and the next Great Depression and World War III will likely ensue.

DWAYNE KEITH

Valrico

An Even Better Plan

Regarding 'Clinton's New And Improved Savings Idea' (Our Opinion, Oct. 11):

The Tribune seems to endorse Senator Clinton's 'American Retirement Account' plan stating that 'unlike her ill-conceived pay-each-baby plan, American Retirement Accounts would increase real savings and improve retirement security.'

It is hard to disagree with the article's summation that 'there should be bipartisan agreement about the urgency of giving all workers incentives to save more of their own money' but is yet another government plan dictating how and how much you can save really a good answer?

How about an IRA entirely free of taxes and government and political manipulation?

DAVE MOSELEY

Ruskin

Will She Get In Trouble?

Hillary Clinton's idea is to let citizens own a retirement account instead of relying on the 'money in a government lock box.' I thought Democrats demonized that solution out of existence when President Bush proposed it a couple of years ago.

Will Clinton get in trouble with the Democrat National Committee for proposing a conservative solution to the 'third rail' of national politics?

ROBERT POLLARD

Ruskin

Protecting The Public

Regarding 'Political Correctness Tyrannizes Social Work Teaching' by George Will (Commentary, Oct. 14):

I would like to provide some information to balance Will's uninformed rant. The main purpose of the NASW's code of ethics is to ensure protection for the public - all public. It has been received as one of the best codes in use today and is being copied in whole or in part by numerous other professional organizations, whose members serve the public. The Council on Social Work Education was also concerned about what occurred at Missouri State University. An in-depth review of the school was conducted and the recommendation was that the school be closed.

Like any large professional body, social workers have a range of opinions from conservative to liberal. Referencing the words of one textbook to support an opinion strikes me as absurd and possibly irresponsible journalism.

Finally, most social workers probably do advocate for social and economic justice. I wonder if Will and the National Association of Scholars, an unaffiliated advocacy group, would prefer advocating for social and economic injustice.

WILLIAM ROWE

Tampa

The writer is professor and director, School of Social Work, University of South Florida.

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