Letters to the Editor: Our readers respond ...

Stick to Cops Corner
I write with no illusions of seeing this in print. Nevertheless, I was so upset by your editorial calling for all-out war that I had to respond.  

Your “Never again?” editorial went way beyond the expected limits of an advertisement-laden local weekly. It is wrong on so many levels that I don’t know where to begin.  

To compare ISIS or any other fringe terrorist group to Hitler’s Germany is not only out of proportion with history, but it diminishes the deaths of millions of innocent Jews, Slavs, gypsies, homosexuals, intellectuals and others who were slaughtered by a tyrant who has no equal in infamy.  

Yes, we had 9/11. Yes, there have been gruesome beheadings. But most of the killing has been Arabs killing Arabs, which has been going on for centuries.

Your call to arms is frightening. Pumped up by jingoistic quotations from Army officers, you call for all-out war, risking the lives of thousands of young American soldiers to fight a battle that you are thousands of miles away from.  

Why don’t you and your family move to the Middle East and publish your paper there? Because you, personally, have no intention of putting yourself in harm’s way. It’s easy to throw spitballs from the comfort of your safe office. You even pay homage to that great American Spiro Agnew by using one of his favorite words — nattering.

The president is “feckless,” the Congress “afraid.” But not you and your warrior friends. The answer is always war.

My advice: Stick to Cops Corner and condo ads. If you have to vent, write a letter to the Times. You can’t turn the Longboat Observer into a bully pulpit when all you have to offer is bull----.

Jeffrey Meltzer
Longboat Key

Aggressively eliminate them
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!

Finally, someone had the nerve and clear view of the evil in our world that is like a cancer that no one is treating.  

To say that this evil is confined to a few Muslims and that Islam is the religion of peace is pure baloney. You have only to study Muslim aggression in history and the true life of Muhammed to see what we’re facing. Compare the lives of Jesus and Muhammed. 

How can we get serious about this threat to the entire civilized world and let known terrorist camps operate in this country? We must call them what they are and aggressively eliminate them. Period.

Phil Stewart
Bradenton

Make our voices heard
Thank you for the article on the terrorist attacks that have become alarmingly more frequent and horrendous. 

It took courage for this little newspaper to report out-of-the-box commentary, atypical for the usual community news you deliver to us each week. 

I also appreciate your noting that Obama is totally unwilling to step up and take a stance on this impending doom that will surely affect us in the United States.

It’s a scary world we live in; I feel for the innocent children being born every day.

I, for one, intend to write to my congressman as you suggested. Hopefully more people will do the same before it is too late. 

It’s a shame that our government is not more involved in wiping out these vile zealots. We, the people, need to make our voices heard!

Audrey Carroll Smith
Bradenton

We must meet this threat
Just a note to communicate an enthusiastic “thank you!” for your editorial in the Feb. 5 edition of the Observer.

A substantial portion of our society would like to turn a blind eye to the very real threat embodied by Islamic extremism.

Thirteen years have passed since 9/11, and while no one alive on that day will ever forget what happened, many among us seem to want to see it as an isolated event that could never happen again.

The reality is that what we are seeing today from the likes of ISIS, al Qaeda, Boko Haram, etc., is an extension of that same crazed hatred and oppression, which is, in fact, far worse than what we witnessed on that fateful September day.

Although no one desires renewed armed conflict, the necessity to engage decisively at this point must no longer be considered an option. Left unchecked, the violent terrorism that we have all witnessed elsewhere will not spare our nation. In fact, it is only through consistent diligence and the grace of God that we have not as yet had to face the ravages of violent extremism here in the United States.

It is an unfortunate, yet objective conclusion for anyone paying attention with eyes open that we must aggressively meet this threat now on our terms, lest we allow these terrorist organizations bloody us on theirs.

Dan Morford
Bradenton

It’s just like pre-World War I
The question you pose is indeed a serious ponderable, with no clear answer.

There is no doubt that the ISIS and other related Islamic pathological criminals are heinous, of the same ilk as the Nazis were, maybe worse.

Often it is stated that the situation in the world is analogous to 1939 in terms of ISIS aggression, and no aggressive counter balance from world governments.

I believe it is more like the first decade in the 20th century prior to World War I when European countries were colliding with each other, and Germany was behaving like Russia is today.

All European countries agreed to spend 2% of GDP to provide a military capability. To date, only four countries are doing that. Thus, their impotence in addressing ISIS, Russia or Iran.

European countries have, for the most part, been protected by the U.S. military since the end of 1945.
The issues of clear and present hostility and danger to the U.S. are multiple. Russia is arming and posturing for war. China stealthily is arming at a rapid rate. Iran is developing a nuclear weapon.

Terrorism both domestic and foreign will continue well into the future.

ISIS is going to  have to be resolved by a coalition of countries in the Middle East.

Unfortunately, because of a deliberate policy by the current administration over the past six years, the U.S. military has been compromised in capability and capacity. Military resources are substantially stretched and need to be rebuilt and restored in every regard.

Congress needs to appropriate funds to start immediately the process of rebuilding and expanding the military.

Bottom line: Because of a void in leadership within the U.S. government and administration, the multiple perils threatening the U.S. are extremely serious.

Elections have consequences — do they ever! We are presently living the results.

Vic Cameron
Sarasota

‘I applaud your stand’
I’ve never commented about your paper since we moved here almost seven years ago and became a loyal reader. But your Feb. 5 opinion page really got my attention. I loved it.

Thanks for showing the reality of what these Islamic nut jobs are doing. Perhaps the armchair liberals won’t be so tolerant of this intolerance if they are presented with facts.

There are so few media outlets that present the truth. It takes courage, and I applaud your stand.

SueAnn Carpenter
Bradenton

I, for one, intend to write
to my congressman as you suggested. Hopefully more people will do the same
before it is too late. 

— Audrey Carroll Smith