Letters to the Editor for Monday, November 9, 2009
Published: November 9, 2009
Updated: November 9, 2009
Honoring the hero of Fort Hood
We are not likely to soon see another such demonstration of heroism as that of Police Sgt. Kimberly Munley at Fort Hood, who by risking her own life saved uncounted others.
Her performance is all the more stunning because she went into the situation cold.
There she was, directing traffic on a quiet morning, the call comes in, and a couple of minutes later, with no time to pump up, no real idea of what’s going on, she finds herself face-to-face with a gun-wielding madman.
While taking his fire, and at least one hit, she shoots him four times, putting an end to the tragedy. That’s not lucky shooting, that’s fierce concentration and extraordinary presence of mind.
That is courage, skill and combat savvy that very few professional warriors could match.
All honor to this brave officer, who now knows what most of us never will: Yes, she has “the right stuff.” I hope the hero hysterics don’t mess up her life too badly for too long.
HANK BURCHARD
Amherst
Utter nonsense
On the day before last week’s election, according to The News & Advance, Mr. Falwell told Liberty university students, “We are expecting those who want to continue to bleed LU to show up at the polls on Tuesday to intimidate our students, faculty and staff. We will have dozens of poll workers in place to quickly stop any intimidation or threats.”
It is ridiculous in the extreme to say that Lynchburg has been bleeding LU, and an insult to every citizen to suggest that anyone was planning to intimidate the school’s students, faculty or staff.
The statement by Mr. Fallwell simply mirrors a classic strategy used long ago by Communist Russia to control their people by claiming to be surrounded by enemies.
The junior Mr Falwell is an insult to the memory of his father, a man who cared about this city.
JOAN and BOB MacCALLUM
Lynchburg
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Reader Reactions
Lessee, Doc Beck, Bush’s snap decisions in Iraq and his ill timed “mission accomplished” are great examples of what quick decisions get us.
Maybe the time has come to slow down a bit and not react so doggone fast. Maybe.
Yes, the big intimidation to LU students came from Valentine’s 16 year old daughter. When I saw her she was talking to the kids about her family and their unusual name. So frightening.
The “union thug”, as he has been referred to, was a retired firefighter standing the appropriate 40 feet away on the OTHER side of the site where the buses were unloading…again scarey.Shakin’ in my boots. The most alarming thing he did was ask Garrett supporters NOT to move Valentine signs,please and thank you so much.
As kids were getting off the bus someone was there to greet them from LU College Republicans saying “ Now you know who to vote for, right?“ That is just too much horor for me.
Glenn Beck,
This is for you:
“Fifty-nine Americans died in October fighting to protect the corrupt Afghan electoral process that resulted in a second five-year term for Hamid Karzai.
Since July and the run-up to the August election, 195 Americans were killed and more than 1,000 were wounded, a higher casualty rate than during the 2007 military “surge” in Iraq. A principal purpose cited by President Obama for sending 17,000 more combat troops to Afghanistan earlier this year was to protect the election, which, according to most observers, Karzai stole.
Has it occurred to anyone in the White House national security circles or the pundit class that these recent American deaths were wasteful and immoral? That sending Americans to die for an unpopular regime of warlords, landlords, drug dealers and CIA assets (Karzai’s brother) is impossible to justify? And that rather than admitting the mistake, the president and his advisers are preparing to compound it?“
Read the whole article at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-hayden10-2009nov10,0,5592560.story
Glenn Beck,
Bush was riding his mountain bike and chopping wood in Crawford while American soldiers were dying In Iraq. Bush spent more time away from the White House that any President in modern history.
Did that bother you?
Anyone have any idea as to when Obama will stop golfing and playing basketball long enough to make a decision on adding troops in Afghanistan?
I mean, our troops are dying while he is living a life of leisure. Give them the tools to do the job or get them out!
Why can’t this guy make a decision?
I don’t think we are ready for it either.
As soon as the U.S. installs Jeffersonian democracy in Iraq and Afghanistan we are going to try it here.
lover,
I did not even appreciate the full irony of my own post!
Young American soldiers are now dying in Afghanistan so that Afghans can have the same corrupt system we have in Lynchburg!
I love it! Nothing like spreading democracy!
lover,
The Falwells have achieved an even greater success than we thought.
Who in his/her right mind will now want to run against their fascist machine, its inexhaustible supply of mindless stormtroopers, and be destroyed?
In the future we will have elections Afghanistan style when only their candidates will run.
Think of it.
Clare new lies would be nice. Unfortunately, the target of those ads is a challenged audience so we will hear the same old lies.
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