Letters to the editor

Let's face it. We've lost tens of thousands of men and women in Vietnam. In the five years we have been in Iraq, our loss of servicemen and women have come to only 4,000. This is infinitesimal when compared to the loss of life in Vietnam. It is appreciated that the loss of only one life is one too many but war is harder on civilians than it is on the military. It is a known fact. There are casualties among the Iraqi civilians that number into the tens of thousands. Do we value their lives too? We should as their suffering must also be great.

Yet our President George W. Bush and Senator John McCain have not pointed this out in any of their speeches. They appear afraid to make the comparison although it is the right thing to do. I am a Republican and will stay away from voting for McCain to succeed Bush because he is too liberal for my liking. Bush has brought down the Republican party by his actions and so will Senator McCain. They are despicable people, in my opinion, and do not deserve our vote. I'm sorry I voted for Bush but he was the lesser of two evils.

A Democrat will never get my vote for obvious reasons. When it comes time to cast my vote I vote as a party member and not for any individual.

To the many fathers, mothers, wives, husbands, brothers and sisters who have lost their loved ones in Iraq, my deepest and sincerest condolences. To the many thousands who have come home maimed and wounded, what more can I say that will ease their and their loved ones' pain?

We must stay the course in Iraq or fail as a nation. The surge is working in spite of the recent troubles. To give up now would be tantamount to cowardice. We have been known as a "Paper Tiger." We make a lot of noise but fail to act. Let this not be the case. Win we must.

I am 80-plus years old and will gladly give my life to set this country that I love so much free. I am proud to be an American as I believe in America and all we stand for.

L.A. DA COSTA JR.

Minden

Do good report cards equal good presidents?

The academic records of President Bush and Senator McCain seem to be of major concern to Barbara Flanagan in her letter of April 24, 2008.

While academics should be of concern I have met people with master and doctorate degrees who have little common sense or have questionable morals.

I wonder how many of our U.S. presidents would have been elected if judged solely by their academic achievements.

Personally, I would find it very difficult to vote for someone who has Whitewater, Travelgate, Filegate, a questionable departure from the White House, reported abusive actions against people assigned to guard their life and Bosnia as a part of their record.

This would be true regardless of their academic achievements or political affiliations.

SANFORD DEYO

Minden

Let's start drilling

What has happened to our own resources? We have many states with oil, we could be using it and not have to pay for this high price at the pump.

Why not build new refineries that the environmentalist can't complain about pollution?

Where did our drilling equipment go Ð to Arab countries? To drill their oil and get fat by us Americans.

There's oil in California, Texas, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Wyoming and also in many other states. Also Alaska. Why are we sending oil from Alaska to the Arab country?

We could begin drilling again and building refineries, and put our own men to work. Soon we will be controlled by other nations. Then the people of this country will see the light.

So far, nearly all the rights of America have been stripped. Myself, I call them leftist. At my age Ð I've seen a lot of changes. So wake up America.

ALICE BECK

Carson City