Local Discussion Becomes Less Than Congenial

You decide who went there, first!


01/24/2006
" Your Views Column: (Printed today in the Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil)

We need soldiers to fight real enemy


I have decided to answer Brian Letner's letter published in "Your Views" on Jan. 3. It is ok with me that he idolizes Dan Larsen, President Bush and Fox News, but his accusations, like his insipid and shallow remark that since myself and others do not support Bush and the war in Iraq, that "we must support the enemy," lack logical thought.

He also accuses those of us who care about our brave soldiers as being "anti-war whiners." Some think it is OK for a soldier to die for the whims of a president who perceives himself to be the crown jewel of the universe and whose war in Iraq is and will continue to haunt America and increase terrorism for many years to come. We need every soldier that we have to fight the sinister forces wanting to harm America and a soldier dying looking for non-existent WMD in Iraq cannot help!

I have seen my youngest son leave to fight this god-forsaken war and he will be going again. It would seem to me that just possibly the cheering should be a little more muted, considering the facts that let up to this war!

Since Letner's only news contact with the world is Fox News, I will share the following: As of this writing, we have lost 2,178 soldiers, had in the area of 16,500 wounded, killed 30,000-plus innocent citizens of Iraq, and spent untold billions of dollars while the future of Iraq is in serious doubt and will not be a "buddy" to America as advertised by our glorious leaders! Apparently the Bush lovers quit watching the world news after the "mission accomplished" speech. Finally, Brian, you mentioned that your opinions are "worth sharing" and I am wondering why you do not practice what you preach, or is this "right" only extended to those who hover in darkness under the cloak of "compassionate conservatism"?

Bill Pelton,
Council Bluffs


Reader Opinions:

Dan Larsen Jan.24, 2006

Bill says “Some think it is OK for a soldier to die for the whims of a president who perceives himself to be the crown jewel of the universe and whose war in Iraq is and will continue to haunt America and increase terrorism for many years to come.” Goodness! Does Pelton have any evidence of any of that, or his he just pouring pure partisan poultry manure to imply his lunatic view of the current state of affairs.

He goes on to say, “We need every soldier that we have to fight the sinister forces wanting to harm America and a soldier dying looking for non-existent WMD in Iraq cannot help!” That tells me that he actually thinks that’s the only order coming down from command staff, in theatre. There must not be any communication between he, and his son, ehh?

Watching something other than CNN, (recently thrown out of Iran, for failing to support their world-view, but then, a few hours later, they lived up to their reputation, and caved in), ABC, NBC and the prize-winners, over at CBS. I’ll bet Brian Letner is about to tell you you’re wrong about his viewing habits, . . . but it’s not surprising at all, since you’re wrong about nearly everything else dealing with international affairs. Bill will be quick to tell us just how much of a failure those democratic elections have been, over there. After all, those ballot boxes didn’t eliminate any terrorists, and he’ll challenge us to prove that negative, just like the WMD issue. If we ask nicely, maybe Pelton will tell us in a little more detail about how he knows what’s going to happen, years from now, in Iraq.

On the one hand, Pelton wants us to leave Iraq, immediately, and on the other, he implies we have to “quit killing innocent civilians in Iraq.” Hey, Bill! The innocent civilians you mention; does that number include all the cowardous terrorists, who wear no uniform, have no army, who represent no government, and are one and the same, with those you and your ilk would afford Geneva Convention Benefits?

Hmmmmmm? Oh, . . . and why does the term “Compassionate Conservative” bother you, so much? God Bless,Dan’L

Don Malick Jan, 24 2006
(From the AP)

Updated: 4:53 p.m. ET Jan. 24, 2006
WASHINGTON - Stretched by frequent troop rotations to Iraq and Afghanistan, the Army has become a “thin green line” that could snap unless relief comes soon, according to a study for the Pentagon.

Andrew Krepinevich, a retired Army officer who wrote the report under a Pentagon contract, concluded that the Army cannot sustain the pace of troop deployments to Iraq long enough to break the back of the insurgency. He also suggested that the Pentagon’s decision, announced in December, to begin reducing the force in Iraq this year was driven in part by a realization that the Army was overextended.

Does this mean that maybe Dan Larsen IS wrong about our capabilities? By the way, this is not a biased report, but a study funded by the Pentagon.



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I don't know, Malick. Let's ask the guy in the photo, above what HE thinks, . . . SHALL we??

God Bless,
Dan'L
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Jim Thorn Jan, 25 2006

"Goodness! Does Pelton have any evidence of any of that, or his he just pouring pure partisan poultry manure to imply his lunatic view of the current state of affairs.

"Dan, this complaint -- which you've raised several times in the past few weeks -- might carry more weight if you were in the habit of offering evidence in support of your own opinions. I reviewed the archived copies of the five letters you've had printed in the past 60 days. In that time, you have shared evidence-free "pure partisan poultry manure" on a wide variety of topics.

The only time you offered clear objective evidence in support of one of your opinions was in a dispute about whether Carnegie and Ford were philanthropists. (You did once try to use your own opinion about John Kerry as evidence "proving the hypothesis" of another of your opinions about Kerry, but I hope you'll understand why I didn't count that one.)


Skip Lambert Jan, 24 2006

It's really no wonder we are having such a warm winter with all the "hot air" that eminates from Larsens right wing rants. His propensity to perpetually "pollute" has a silver lining after all.

God Have Mercy,
SkipL