Two positive letters to the editor in my local paper. Ya!

[wisteria]

Mr. Bush is the one who owes the troops an apology


Anybody with the ability to keep two thoughts separated knows that the target of John Kerry's "joke" was George W. Bush, not the men and women of the armed services ("Kerry Offers Apology for 'Botched Joke,' " Nov. 2). It is absurd to think that a man who has himself been face to face with an armed enemy in the service of his country would belittle those following in his own honorable tradition of service.

Considering that this country spent a small fortune training our president to be a "fighter pilot," you'd think he might've seen fit to give a little something back by volunteering to go and replace guys like John McCain (who were languishing in prisons in North Vietnam). What's really insulting to the troops is to have a commander in chief who has wasted so many of them with so little to show for their efforts.

This is an obvious desperate attempt by the media and the Republicans to crow about an "October surprise," since they are so addicted to cliches and no longer able to report the news factually and with some kind of dignified reserve.

If the electorate falls for this come Tuesday, then it will be the "uneducated" ones mistakenly referred to.


DENNIS DONEGAN
Greensburg



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The real mistake


John Kerry's recent statements were misinterpreted by some to imply that U.S. troops are uneducated. He should apologize to those who took offense, but no U.S. soldiers died as a consequence.

Contrast that to the 2,816 U.S. troops who had died as of Oct. 31 because of George W. Bush's words, including "bring 'em on," and the hundreds more who will die because Mr. Bush is too stubborn and arrogant to admit he made a mistake.

The Iraq debacle reminds me of "Bartholomew Cubbins and the Oobleck" by Dr. Seuss. In this story, King Derwin of Didd orders his evil magicians to create something new from the sky, which turns out to be extremely sticky "oobleck." The oobleck drops start small and are even pretty, but before long the huge drops bring the country to a standstill. Only when the simple pageboy Bartholomew Cubbins forces the king to say "I'm sorry" does the sun come out and melt away the oobleck.

Mr. Bush and those U.S. senators and representatives who continue their blind, unquestioning support of the Iraq war need to make the real apology.


DEBBY RAMPOLLA
Whitehall

I like to see positive letters from real people. I says the message is getting through.


I am working on one myself. I hope to have it done tomorrow.



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