Letters

(2 of 4)

Klein's argument that Kerry must campaign more aggressively against Bush's policies was dead on. Bush's litany of mistakes can be defined in common terms by every kindergartner in America, yet Kerry can't bring himself to call a spade a spade. Kerry has to tell us exactly what Bush has done wrong and how Kerry will do it right.
TOM MENEELY
Arco, Minn.

Follow the Money

The ratio of eyewitnesses who support John Kerry's Vietnam War record to those who do not can only be described as overwhelming. Yet your Notebook report "Kerry in Combat: Setting the Record Straight" [Aug. 30] allowed baseless accusations to be elevated to charges worthy of serious contemplation. Follow the money that subsidizes the calumnies of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth (SBVT). The trail leads to well-bankrolled Republican Party operatives.
DAVID FEDERMAN
Narberth, Pa.

Unless liberals can prove that President Bush is directly coordinating the activities of SBVT, it's unfair to keep complaining about who is behind the ads. Since Bush can't prove that the lies and distortions of MoveOn.org and Michael Moore are coordinated by Kerry's supporters, the President doesn't bother whining to Americans.
PETER GUARDINO
New York City

If the veterans involved in SBVT were either swift or truthful, they would have challenged Kerry's military medals 35 years ago, when they were awarded.
JOHN DEBOER
Sequim, Wash.

As a 28-year navy veteran, I resent how casually SBVT contradicts the official Navy records of award citations and fitness reports. Accurate reporting was an imperative that was always emphasized in my training. Getting it right was vital, whether investigating a fatal mishap or writing an evaluation that would influence someone's career. If a group wants to assert that not all Vietnam veterans agree with Kerry, it should just say so. But don't trash the integrity of the military in order to oppose a man who honorably served his country.
ED SROKA
Cherry Hill, N.J.

Collegiate Conservatives

After reading "The Right's New Wing" [Aug. 30], about conservatives on college campuses, I have to ask, Is this what American politics is coming to? The conservative students interviewed are eager to name call, provoke, insult and offend, ostensibly in the name of the noble conservative cause. Am I the only one who wishes both conservatives and liberals would speak and behave respectfully while attempting an intelligent examination of the issues? If those students are our future, I am alarmed.
KYLE S. PUND
Lombard, Ill.

I am originally from Iran, and I always thought that one of the reasons my country went downhill was that, before the revolution, the majority of Iranians were virtually illiterate and easily manipulated. I thought education would allow people to reason for themselves and be less susceptible to opportunistic movements. To read that students in some of the U.S.'s best universities support gay bashing and opposition to affirmative action and abortion rights completely shatters that illusion.
MEY KHALILI
Ithaca, N.Y.

What Iraqis Want

In Michael Ware's report on fighting in the heart of Baghdad [Aug. 30], he described the insurgents as "bearing the mark of professional soldiers and sophisticated terrorist groups." Captain Thomas Foley, the American commander on the scene, said, "I don't know who it is. I really don't know what they want." What would Foley want if the circumstances were reversed? We have bombed the Iraqis' cities, destroyed their homes and killed thousands. Apparently, our proud religiosity and self-righteous superiority have blinded us to the humanity of others and made us a nation of dimwits. What the Iraqis want is for the U.S. to get the hell out.
LELA KNOX SHANKS
Lincoln, Neb.