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Hernando Today

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 19, 2008

No Concept Of Honor

Regarding the latest "Rall Rant" in Hernando Today. As a Vietnam veteran, I only wish it were 1808 instead of 2008. To defend my honor, which he has called into question, I would challenge him to a duel, as Aaron Burr did to Alexander Hamilton.

When soldiers, drafted or enlisted, are called to fight in a war by their country they respond. I respect Mr. Rall's right to his opinion but, in my humble opinion, he is full of himself and quite possibly other substances as well. Mr. Rall has no concept of what honor is - to serve alongside a fellow brother in arms or to be willing to die for your comrade as many have done by falling on grenades. Are these soldiers not worthy of honor?

I would also remind Mr. Rall that soldiers in combat will refer to the enemy in less than politically correct terms as was widely done in World War II. So Sen. John McCain's use of the derogatory term "gook" is understandable in that time and place. I suspect that had Mr. Rall been eligible for the draft, he would have joined his fellow 100,000 moral cowards in Canada and would now be writing his rant from there.

As for McCain bombing a village when he was shot down - Mr. Rall, in 1965 I was in a position to see the targeting data as it was passed from the White House to the Pacific theater and I assure you that many targets were not bombed precisely because of where they were located.

Vietnam was only the first of our wars where the military commanders were handicapped in their engaging the enemy. It certainly didn't take the North Vietnamese long to move their sensitive sites in proximity to hospitals and schools.

The soldiers who fought, died or were wounded in every war are heroes. I salute them, and I honor them.

Harry Chamberlain

Spring Hill

Foul And Odorous

Having columns by Ms. Earl and Mr. Rall on the same page causes foul odors to emanate from the ink. Could you not balance them with Mr. Myers or others of different (not "progressive" or "liberal") stripes?

Anyone who refers to our president as "Dubya" or "Bushie" deserves little attention.

Anyone who cherry-picks facts and claims to be shedding light on a subject deserves even less. (You mean the well-known progressive JFK did not start the Vietnam War because he had the hots for Madam Nu? You really mean Woodrow Wilson won World War I - the mess he left caused World War II. Likewise, HST and the Korean Police Action.)

And who had the opportunity to stop Mr. bin Laden before he became a large threat? How about the Civil War and Spanish-American War?

Anyway, it's good in the bottom of the bird cage. Those odors mix just fine.

A. LaMont Shultes

Spring Hill
Rall Really Sick

I am sorry that your newspaper has lost its sense of community by printing the likes of Ted Rall. You have allowed him the space to insult all Vietnam veterans and to try to make heroes of draft dodgers.

Did anyone at your paper read his trash before you printed it? I hope not. I hope this was an oversight on your part, and I fully expect a public apology from your paper to all veterans for allowing this hate speech.

I don't know if you are aware of just how sick Ted Rall really is. I do wonder if he would have the courage to stand face to face with any veteran and spew this bile.

The veterans were courageous enough to face an enemy our country sent them to face, when this enemy had the means to kill them. Ted Rall certainly does not possess that kind of courage. He hides behind your paper.

That makes him a coward, just as the draft dodgers who went to Canada were cowards. I will wait and see how your paper handles this before I decide to stop my subscription.

Doug Davis

Brooksville

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