Copyright 1995 Omaha World-Herald Company
Omaha World Herald
May 20, 1995 Saturday SUNRISE EDITION
SECTION: EDITORIAL; Pg. 44; Public Pulse
LENGTH: 1048 words
HEADLINE: Public Pulse
BODY:
'We Owe More to Russia' Margaret Carter, Omaha I am much distressed by the World-Herald editorial bashing Mr. Clinton for going to Russia instead of England for the celebration of V-E Day. If the Russians had not entered the Second World War and divided Hitler's army, we would be in German hands now.
After World Wars I and II, we loaned England billions of dollars, many of which were unaccounted for or forgiven. Why do we owe the Brits anything?
'V-E Day in USA' Martin J. Caffrey, Omaha As a member of the armed forces on V-E and V-J Days, I can't understand why Mr. Clinton was in Russia and not in the United States celebrating with us.
'Gun Owners Are Miscast' Craig Welliver, Gothenburg, Neb.
It is truly astounding how misled I have been for most of my life. I was always of the assumption that radicals who hijack planes, bomb buildings and kill innocent people were terrorists and thugs. Now I find that if the always non-prejudicial news media statements are taken as gospel, the true criminals are law-abiding American gun owners. Any individual who hunts or owns a sporting firearm of any kind is obviously a demented maniac or crazed serial killer bent on world destruction. If one enjoys shooting, he must be a "gun nut" or "one of them militia-type goons." I have hunted and owned forearms for 35 years. No, I don't own an AK-47 or a grenade launcher. I've never been a member of a para-military subversive organization attempting government overthrow, nor do I intend to become so involved. But rest assured, if bringing home a couple of pheasants for the dinner table constitutes a threat to national security, then by all means haul me away and lock me up.
'Don't Equate Bombings' Charles A. Sklenar, Omaha David Childs ("U.S. Once Bombed Kids," May 13 Pulse) is missing something. There is a big difference between the Oklahoma City bombing of 1995 and the bombings of Japan and Germany in 1944-45.
If Japan hadn't bombed Pearl Harbor, we wouldn't have hit Hiroshima or Nagasaki. If Germany hadn't invaded Poland, used extermination camps on the Jews, destroyed Coventry in England and murdered some of my buddies at Malmedy after they were POWs, I'm sure Dresden would not have been firebombed.
Germany and Japan had to expect what they got. Oklahoma City did not.
'Go Back to Phonics' Cindy Bazis, Omaha Of my four children learning to read, only my youngest has learned to by the whole-language reading program. This child is a fifth grader, has difficulty reading and, unlike my older children, does not have a love for books. She has been in the READ program for several years, off and on. I will be looking for a tutor this summer.
Whole-language reading programs sound good, but they don't get the job done. This is what parents mean when they say that we need to get back to the basics - a phonics-based reading program. Thank goodness for parents who have made their voices heard at their local school boards.
'Bring On Competition' Michael T. Marr, Omaha A recent article in The World-Herald described how the long-distance companies and others have proposed to re-enter the local telephone market. Why? Because the local Bell companies have no competition.
Fostering direct competition with deregulation will lower prices for consumers.
Not afraid of monopolies? Just remember how much you paid for a gallon of gas when OPEC was still in power.
'Leave Gambling to Iowa' Pat Vrchlavsky, Omaha World-Herald editorials in regard to not expanding the gambling laws have been right on target. So what if Iowa is drawing the "gambling money" over there? We do not need a further increase in our taxes than it will already take to counteract the problem that Iowa gambling will cause.
We also wish to thank Governor Nelson and Mayor Daub for speaking out against the icnrease in gambling in Nebraska. Our thanks also to all the Nebraska state senators who voted against the bill on extending gambling.
Nebraska is a family-oriented state. Let's keep it that way.
'Restore Petition Rules' J.R. Warner, Omaha The laws pertaining to our petition rights had been virtually unchanged for 82 years prior to 1988. Now, with increased signature requirements, it is less likely that a successful petition campaign can be completed.
Call your state representative and say that you want the same amount of freedom for the people that the petition process gave us in 1987. The petition process is the best safeguard against runaway taxation.
'Can't Quash Criticism' Brian L. Johnson, Lincoln According to the president, syndicated columnists and particular citizens, the ghastly acts of a few extreme militants in Oklahoma City had to have been provoked by Rush Limbaugh.
Five days a week, Rush can be heard criticizing the president's policies and ranting about the encroachments of the federal government, from overburdening tax rates to the colossal web of restrictions affecting businesses and personal life. As incredulous as it may seem, these topics have been arousing political disputes for the past 200 years and will probably never be agreed upon.
Liberals are content to tie disagreement with government to blowing up federal buildings. At the same time, Al Gore's criticism of the logging industry is not being considered to have provoked the notorious "Unabomber" who killed the president of the California Forestry Association last month. How convenient and selective for an ideology that is lacking any sort of substantive issue to combat the rise of conservatism.
'Host Takes Critical Calls' Bud Greuter, Lincoln Phil Allen's Pulse letter said that Rush Limbaugh is being unfair by not talking to people that disagree with him about issues.
This is simply not true. I have been listening to Limbaugh for a number of years. He constantly has conversations with people who disagree with him. I have never heard him retreat or cut people off, even when they get out of line. And he usually gives them more time than callers who agree with him. They really have to go crazy or get into name-calling before he tells them that he has to move on.
Maybe Mr. Allen should try calling him.