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On Iraq, Democrats are caught in a trap of their own making

Re: Democracy or demagoguery? by Philip Gailey, June 18.

"It was a political set-up," you claim. But could the Democrats be that easily "set-up" if they hadn't already put themselves in a cut-and-run position regarding Iraq?

The Democrats have made reams of headlines about getting out of Iraq. Nancy Pelosi, Howard Dean, John Murtha, Ted Kennedy, John Kerry, Russ Feingold, Harry Reid, and on and on.

Suddenly, they are asked to commit to the position they've been mouthing about and they scream through the night. They have no good answer, so they ridicule the process that's asking them to make a simple vote. And, of course, media such as this newspaper, are only too eager to help them make that ridiculous case.

If you look up the meaning of "demagoguery" you will find that it applies quite readily to the Democrats and to you!

After all, it's President Bush who said, "What you hear from me, no matter what these polls and all the business look like, is that it's worth it, it is necessary, and we will succeed."

Colin Richardson, Satellite Beach

Congress sidesteps the Iraq facts

"Democracy or demagoguery?" The question is rhetorical, as is most of what passes for debate on Capitol Hill these days. But perhaps the question should be "Democracy or professional wrestling?"

Poll after poll has shown that the American public no longer supports the war in Iraq. Yet our "elected representatives" continue to waste time, money and human lives feigning debate on the subject.

Perhaps instead of contemplating whether their rhetoric will win them the next election, our members of Congress should focus on the facts for a change. Here are a few I would like to remind them of:

Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction.

Iraq has never attacked the United States.

The secular government of Saddam Hussein had no ties to the Islamic fundamentalist movement of Osama bin Laden.

There are more than 2,500 dead U.S. soldiers and tens of thousands of dead Iraqis thanks to a war that was begun on false pretenses, whether deliberate or accidental is inconsequential to those whose lives have been lost.

The Iraqi people are fully functional human beings capable of addressing the issues of the day and able to plan for the future of their homeland without assistance from either Republicans or Democrats ... or the Hulk Hogan wanna-bes currently masquerading as public servants in Washington.

Carol Schiffler, St. Petersburg

Protesters are there, if you look

One of the answers to the question asked in the June 18 article Where have all the marchers gone? is contained in the slant of the article itself.

The author's astoundingly selective reporting on street protests somehow neglected to mention the millions of immigrants and their supporters whose marching numbers broke records recently in most of the largest cities in the United States.

Not mentioned as well were the street protests and actions at the World Trade Organization conference in Seattle several years ago which have continued nationally and internationally whenever and wherever the global monetary and trade organizations meet, in many cases effectively shutting down the meeting process. Nor were demonstrations at the Republican and Democratic national conventions cited, which apparently were of so much concern to the authorities that they created caged-in, so-called "free-speech zones."

And, most amazingly, not a word was said about the approximately 10-million people who gathered around the world on Feb. 15, 2003, to protest the impending invasion of Iraq. The numbers for that turnout still stand as a demonstration record internationally and in cities all over Europe and the United States.

I would encourage the author to reflect on what Mohandas Gandhi once said as he was breaking off an interview with a reporter: "I must leave now. My people are marching and I must catch up with them. You see, I am their leader."

Joseph J. Ferrandino, Lutz

Draft is part of the equation

Re: Where have all the marchers gone?

Sheelah Kolhatkar left out one very important fact while comparing the war in Iraq with the wars in Vietnam and Korea: the draft. Believe me if there had been a military draft in 2003 there would have been more than just protesters marching in the streets.

Sure it is okay now with the public, because so few are sacrificing their lives and limbs for the rest of us. But during the Korean and Vietnam wars every young man 18 years and older was subject to a call to serve his country for at least two years.

This administration is too clever to even mention the word "draft." As an old veteran of the Korean War, I thought we should really compare apples to apples.

Joseph Palazzo, St. Petersburg

Open minds not found here

Re: Where the base is safe for GOP, June 18.

Bill Adair's article concerning the people from the Villages would have been comical, if it were not so sad, because it is about people who have such narrow minds that they only read, watch and listen to people who support their view of the world.

Their world revolves around "golf cart drill teams" while thousand of brave Americans have died in a needless war that our president lied about to start.

I hope I never get to the point in my life, as I grow older, that I will not consider other points of view.

Jeffrey Kenney, Seminole

Villages realities

Re: Where the base is safe for GOP.

I appreciated your front-page article on the continuing support for the GOP from the Villages. Recent articles on the high rate of sexually transmitted diseases, dementia and Alzheimer's in the Villages painted a less than complimentary picture.

Your article simply reported the facts without attempting to construct or construe a relationship between their support of the GOP and the realities of living in a like-minded community.

John H. Mason, Clearwater

Doesn't quite fit the profile

Re: Where the base is safe for GOP.

I am 53, not 73; I live in Tampa Bay, not the Villages. I subscribe to your paper and I am a registered Democrat. I also believe strongly that President Bush is doing a good job.

Rebecca L. Johnson, New Port Richey

Thoughts for food

Re: Fixing the problems in our food supply is really a matter of taste, June 18.

Robyn Blumner was right on the mark with this column. After enjoying food in Italy you wonder what's wrong here in the good old USA.

I believe the Italian food tastes so good because local farms provide the produce to the Italian markets and restaurants. The produce is vine-ripened and is in the market the day after it is picked, in some cases the same day. The meats are free of hormones and chemicals.

As Blumner says, the flavors are so intense you don't have to overdo it to enjoy the food. One just has to have a plate of pasta in Italy and you soon see that the pasta is barely colored by the sauce yet the flavors are wonderful.

I knew if I read Robyn's column long enough she would write something I could agree with.

Dan Pennisi, Palm Harbor

[Last modified June 25, 2006, 05:54:31]