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Letters to the editor:

Have we become blase? & Parra has my support

Have we become blase?

Editor: Last week I was at the Fresno County Library reading the Aug. 29 issue of the Washington Post. A sub-headline noted in large letters that "20 U.S.-Backed Soldiers are Killed" in the secular violence that continues in Iraq.

Five paragraphs later, readers were told in much smaller type, "Nine U.S. soldiers also were killed over the weekend in and around Baghdad." Evidently, those who publish the premier newspaper in our nation's capital - the one read in every congressional office and throughout the District of Columbia - think the death of 20 Iraqis is far more relevant than the death of nine Americans.

The families of those dead service personnel would surely disagree. We have obviously reached a point in this conflict when the death of a few Americans one day and the loss of a few more the next day has become such a common occurrence that their demise merits merely a few barely noticeable lines in this very influential publication. Isn't something terribly wrong here?

RICKY MARTIN

Hanford

Parra has my support

Editor: My name is Rick Leach and I support Nicole Parra in her re-election bid for the 30th Assembly District. I am proud to say that I served my country in the United States Army, serving in Iraq as an infantry soldier with the 4th Infantry Division.

I am a graduate of Hanford High School and am now attending West Hills College in Lemoore.

I support Nicole Parra because she is an experienced and effective legislator who has represented us well in Sacramento as an assemblywoman from the 30th Assembly district.

She is smart, well-educated and infinitely more knowledgeable about the issues that matter to all of us living in the Central Valley than her opponent.

She cares about us and our communities and will continue working tirelessly to make our lives better. Nicole Parra is my choice for the 30th Assembly District, and I encourage everyone to get out and vote for Nicole Parra on Nov. 7.

This election matters.

RICK W. LEACH

Hanford

(October 11, 2006)

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The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the views of the Hanford Sentinel

T. Snowden wrote on Oct 11, 2006 3:43 PM:

" I don't think we've become blase rather realistic that when going to war, lives will be lost. Let us not forget 9-11 and the reason we are fighting. How many innocent lives were lost in the world trade center? Why? Our military accepts the risks when they sign up. We acknowledge the risk but cry when we read about the death toll. This is a shame, but a fact! May God bless our military for without you, our Country would not be free and we know your sacrifices are many. Land of the free and home of the BRAVE. And as for the Nicole Parra story, she leaves a lot to be desired (she tends to be a little self-serving to me). but again we are free to vote for whom we want. This is America! "

Hanford wrote on Oct 11, 2006 4:06 PM:

" Did you know your child's classmates is infested with Lice? I have a 9 year-old daughter, who has had lice infestation in kindergarten, second grade and just recently now in fourth grade. This time was pretty bad, and like always it has happened in the months of Ocotber or November. I make a point to immediately notify the school, and any person, family or friend that has been around my daughter. I have been outraged by the Hanford School District policy on lice. Policy: The nurse will check other calssmates hair and the infested child's siblings, hopefuly with a day or two, depending if there is a nurse around. Problem: There is no letter sent to parents advising them that there ia a child in class with lice, there is no special clean up. My child has been back to school for over two weeks. She nor her brother has been checked for head lice.Even after I called and voiced my complaints on how it has been handled in the past. My child currently attends MLK and this is the policy that was relayed to me by the head of operations. "

Sid wrote on Oct 12, 2006 1:14 AM:

" Mr. Leach, thank you for your service to our country. In regards to your letter, I must point out that you mention generalities and no specifics to support your position; What constituted effective legislation in your mind? What issues, in your opinion, matter to us in the central valley where her position is superior to that of her opponent? For sake of discussion, how about her support for granting illegal aliens driver's licenses and her opponents opposition to that? Yes sir, this election matters. "

Scott Tucker wrote on Oct 12, 2006 6:53 AM:

" Dear Ricky Martin, I agree with your statements that the deaths of the US soldiers deserve the same amount of attention as the article concerning the deaths of the Iraqi soldiers. The loss of any life, be it American or Iraqi, is tragic and deserves to be given the same amount of attention. I do not think that we have become blas� regarding the deaths of American soldiers, but rather, we are ashamed, knowing that their deaths were preventable and unnecessary. There is no link between the events of September 11th and the war in Iraq. I think most Americans realize this and are greatly ashamed of the fact that we continue to send our troops to an unjust war to kill and be killed. We don't like to be reminded of our mistakes, hence the small print and the "few barely noticeable lines" in the newspaper. "

Sid wrote on Oct 12, 2006 12:13 PM:

" Mr. Tucker, you do not have the general license to say "we are ashamed" or speak for "most Americans" with any credibility. The point of the letter was specifically on reverential respect for our servicemembers and not a springboard for your already well known political beliefs... "

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