Winston-Salem Journal LTE TH 05/31/12

Constant war

One's ideologies toward the constant war in Afghanistan are definitely subject to opinion. In most cases, through controversial biases and different philosophical views, a lot of people are either extremely against the war or are entirely for the war. There is no common median. By that I mean that instead of each individual perspective coming together on similar ground, people argue when they should be more concerned about the actual war. Instead of complaining about the war, people should be more involved in preserving and conserving what we tend to overlook here in America.

We are at war with Afghanistan because Afghanistan disagrees with our way of life. The soldiers fighting abroad are protecting our way of life. We should be grateful every day for what the soldiers are doing there.

In a sense, it is a Tragedy of the Commons. People aren't realizing that by constantly bickering about whether the troops should come home or not, they are in a sense creating an even longer war. I personally feel that if it is deemed necessary that the troops should stay in Afghanistan, then they should. If they aren't needed in Afghanistan, then of course we should pull them out as quickly as possible. But as long as there is a need for defense against foreign attackers, there should always be a need for the military.

Through strife and conquest we without a doubt reign supreme against other nations, and I fully intend to keep it that way.

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TERRY WUNKER

Winston-Salem

Helping riders

Under the budget proposed by Winston-Salem City Manager Lee Garrity, buses would raise their fares by 30 cents ("City plan raises property taxes," May 26). Wouldn't that adversely affect those people who ride the buses? Where is that extra 30 cents going? Is it to build much-needed roadside shelters? It certainly doesn't sound as though it will help those riders.

Isn't there some other way to collect 30 cents that would help people rather than hinder them?

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ANN S. RUTTER

Pfafftown

Finish the Thought

Saturday, we asked readers to complete the sentence: "The next culture war will be over …"

* * * * *

"... railing against the poor for not paying taxes.

"The GOP has successfully waged war against women by passing legislation to restrict abortion in 30 states and to reignite the debate on contraception, ban same-sex marriage via constitutional amendment and engage in voter suppression through picture ID requirements. Now several states have passed legislation to cut taxes for the rich and raise taxes for the poor. And at the national level, the GOP has repeatedly blocked the Democratic Party's initiatives to ask the rich to pay their fair share of taxes and to repeal subsidies for Big Oil.

"The rationale for making the poor pay more taxes is that if they have to pay taxes, they are less likely to ask for government handouts. However, the GOP conveniently forgets that the poor do pay payroll taxes and a high proportion of their income on sale taxes, etc."

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BOON T. LEE

* * * * *

"… self-responsibility."

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SMITH MACK HAGAMAN

* * * * *

"After the Voter ID bill is hopefully defeated, I predict the next culture war will be over the dismantling of public education. The ALEC/Art Pope gang is determined to privatize education, giving vouchers and corporate-donated (tax-exempt) scholarship money to be used at secular and parochial private schools. Not only will this create further disparity in quality education, but once again the issue of separation of church and state will arise."

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ANNE GRIFFIS WILSON

* * * * *

"… dismantling drug prohibition, which makes about 10 percent of the U.S. population into victimless criminals.

"Drug prohibition is based on conservative religious dogma, not medical or social science, and is thus unconstitutional. Legalizing marijuana, perhaps the safest psychoactive plant on the planet, will be the first step. The next step will be to allow chewing of coca leaves — but not use of its more dangerous extract: cocaine.

"Legal growing of Papaver somniferum poppies and use of dried poppy extract (opium) will follow.

Religious and spiritual guides will be trained to administer and monitor the "heavier" psychedelics: LSD, peyote, psylocybin, ketamine and others.

"Those few who have trouble with substance overuse will get non-judgmental professional help paid for by the high taxes on drug sales. And the world will be a better place to live without the wars, imprisonment, unjust raids, confiscations, broken families, erosion of privacy, illegal searches and deaths caused by almost 100 years of drug prohibition."

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DR. JAMES S. CAMPBELL

* * * * *

"... something that has nothing to do with actual culture."

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JAN HUGOSSON