TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Letters To The Editor

ADVERTISEMENT

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 9, 2008

Spend Money On Troops

Regarding "MacDill AirFest Dazzles Visitors" (Metro, May 4):

Another air show has come and gone at MacDill. The reported costs of these events range from $150,000 to $200,000 per event. These events are held through out the country every year.

I have to question the priority of the money spent for these dog-and-pony shows when our returning soldiers come home to dilapidated barracks ("Aging Army Barracks Plagued With Problems, Report Says," Nation/World, May 8), and when we see our veteran service men and women dropping out of college because the money promised for college when they enlisted was a farce.

Where is the pride our government once had in keeping its promises and having spit-and-polish facilities - or is everything just an air show?

JAMES T. WOODS

Brooksville

Eating High In The Sky
Regarding "Lunch At 12 O'clock" (Flavor, May 7);

I knew that the Brits have a Royal Air Force, but until reading the May 7 Flavor section, I didn't know that the Unites States has a Royalty Air Force.

Why does the Air Force have 200 flight attendants, highly trained in air safety, cooking and serving gourmet meals to government VIPs and generals? The reason, ostensibly, is to keep the brass happy.

The most respected commanders in military history, when they traveled, were those who simply said, "I'll eat what the men are having." Flight crews in the rest of the military air services are lucky to get hot coffee while flying long missions and are grateful if their MRE (Meal Ready to Eat) doesn't included the dreaded beef franks.

VIPs who can't stomach MREs should get over themselves and bring sack lunches and let the flight attendants focus instead on the safety of those on board the aircraft.

FRED JACOBSEN

Apollo Beach

Petraeus Merits Job

Regarding "General A Team Player" on May 2 (Letters):

I guess the letter writer has had no affiliation with the military or how military officers are evaluated for promotion. They are put through a rigorous evaluation process which begins from the time they are cadets at West Point. It is an accumulation of all their evaluations from all their duties and positions that they have held during their career. If our top business executives had to go through that type of evaluation, there would be fewer problems in the business world.

I will not deny that some politics do come into play, but does that not happen with any high-powered position?

It's easy for civilians to sit back and listen to the media and the senators and congressman who have no concept of what our serviceman and women do. Gen. Petraeus embodies the motto of the United States Military Academy at West Point: "Duty, Honor, Country."As for Adm. Fallon, he is a disgrace. He left his command because he did not like what was told to him by his boss, the president of the United States.

MARIA FARRELL

Tampa

The Agribusiness Effect

Regarding "As Leader Of World Economy, America Cannot Ignore Hunger" (Our Opinion, April 30):

You state that "by heavily subsidizing corn and other grains for export, the United States has told other countries not to worry about food." A corollary to that situation is that apparently three-fourths of the world's natural corn supply has been replaced by its bio-genetically engineered counterpart so that not only foreigners, but American consumers have no idea what they're eating since labeling is not required.

The recent PBS documentary "King Corn" is a wonderful beginning to understanding what has happened to American agribusiness in the past 30 years and its effect on diminished nutrition and increased obesity in America. Hopefully the plight of the poorest people will crack open the untold story of the U.S. farm programs which you point out has been shaped by extraordinarily powerful special interests.

JEANNE FISCHER ZYLSTRA

Temple Terrace

No Real Comparison

Regarding "White Preachers Spout Off, Too" (Other Views, May 7):

Nice "lib" try at equating Jeremiah Wright with Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, etc.; however, there is a big difference between Wright spewing anti-Americanism and proclaiming faith-healing ability and TV evangelists espousing somewhat biblically grounded doctrines vs. abortion, gays, etc.

The point is not really Wright, "white preachers," etc., but whether Barack Obama is fool or liar. He can't have it both ways. He either knew all along of Wright's anti-American stances and condoned it by church attendance and friendship and has lied about it; or he sat in his presence for 20 years with no clue of what was going on. MIKE JONES

Lakeland

An Unfamiliar Concept

Apparently I've lived a very sheltered life. Reverend Jeremiah Wright has indicated that people are not attacking him but the black church, also known as the African-American church. These are totally unfamiliar terms to me. I've only known churches by denomination. The telephone book didn't have a listing either.

Wright states that "we" - meaning anyone who is not black, I suppose - do not understand the black church. Are other people with a different genetic background not welcome in his church? It appears to me that he is proposing not only segregation of race, but also segregation of religion. As mentioned, this is a totally unfamiliar concept to me.

PEGGY ANN WRIGHT

Tampa

Experience Required

I don't understand how some people can be disregarding the experience aspect of this presidential race. If you are a policeman, how would you feel if they put a person in as your chief of police whose experience consists of watching cop television shows? Or, if you are a nurse, installing as the head nurse someone who watches the emergency room show. Yet, some people want individuals with little to no experience to run our country!

This makes no sense at all.

CLAUDE FORTIN

Valrico

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT