Human Rights Abuses and Battlefield Realities
Gal Luft’s terrifying March 30 commentary “Do You Shoot When the Enemy Is a 12-Year-Old?” is a sad, true and moral dilemma for those of us who value the lives of children. The use of human shields and putting kids on the front lines to morally shock Western soldiers is something only those who have no value for human life can do. The fact that Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have not made this a front-page issue shows you whose side they are on.
Any organization or country that reverts to such tactics is performing the highest level of child abuse ever. I would suggest bringing in the United Nations to help with this situation, but it appointed Libya as the head of its human rights commission and Libya’s own use of children as martyrs is alive and well.
Allyson Rowen Taylor
Valley Glen
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In his March 30 Opinion piece “The Smell of War,” Philip Caputo writes about the overwhelming smell of death that pervades the places where battles have cut off the lives and dreams of those of us called upon to make the supreme sacrifice, a sacrifice that I and many others of my generation were willing to make during World War II.
As Caputo pointed out, today we have leaders who have never been called upon to make this sacrifice yet are asking our young people to sacrifice everything -- not to protect this country against imminent threats from Iraq but to punish Saddam Hussein for his temerity to survive. Yes, we should, as Caputo suggested, uncork that odor of death under the noses of President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. This might make them realize what havoc they have unleashed.
Albert Ross
Granada Hills
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Caputo is a very powerful writer. He has seen hell, and he has made me see it. I hope people will heed this man, who knows whereof he speaks.
Joanne Gonzalez
Claremont
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I feel very fortunate to live in one of the two greatest countries in the world. Not because we think we are superior to other countries or individuals or ways of life but because America and England recognized their responsibility to the rest of the people in the world to provide the simple freedoms that so many individuals take for granted. One of these freedoms is the ability to express your views without concern for yourself or your family’s safety.
I am proud to live in a country that does not use human shields, or white flags of surrender for subterfuge, or shoot citizens in the back for trying to escape the atrocities in their own country. And especially thank you, America, for upholding the values you were built upon: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all. As our son heads to the Middle East this week, my family is very proud to continue the tradition of military service.
Denise Schwartz
Studio City
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Iraq’s Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan warns there will be more homicide/suicide bombings (March 30). Do we need more evidence of state-sponsored terrorism? Should not the United Nations, France, Germany and all civilized countries join the coalition to confront and remove Iraq’s evil regime?
Howard Rosen
Los Angeles
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It’s really simple. If you were Arab, Muslim or even Israeli, would you want Bush and his friends as uninvited guests in your home?
Thomas K. Nagano
Los Angeles
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To all the people who keep asking, “Have you forgotten 9/11?” in reference to the war on Iraq, I say, “Not at all.” Except that the two have nothing to do with one another.
And by the way, where is Osama bin Laden?
Ramsey Hakim
Los Angeles
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Many Americans believe that the Iraq war is about securing future oil supplies, and President Bush has asked for $75 billion for this year to fight the war. The U.S. uses about 150 billion gallons of gasoline per year. Perhaps an appropriate way to pay for this war would be an extra 50-cent tax on gasoline?
Roy Williams
Pasadena
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President Bush doesn’t seem to have a timetable for the war in Iraq, but I have a pretty good feeling about his timetable. Oh, I’d say about November 2004.
Rick Mervis
Northridge
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Tell me that Bin Laden, on Sept. 10, 2001, could have predicted, prayed or hoped for a better outcome for the Sept. 11 attacks than the one that exists right now in the world. We are being played like a violin.
Michael Sieverts
Santa Monica
