Bell Curve’s ‘fairy tale’ isn’t fair to all

I was disgusted with the column by Joseph Bell (“Keep us blessed with

the right to dissent,” Thursday).

Bell is playing a sly game of putting President Bush supporters on

notice that by harshly criticizing people like him who do not support

our nation’s actions during a time of war are somehow guilty of

stifling the right to dissent.

Bell has a right to dissent and he should be prepared for people

to point out that his comments and views are foolish and his logic is

that of a grade-schooler. Bell attempts to mock President Bush’s

comment “God bless America” by saying that he needs to receive more

public support before America can “make contact with the Almighty.”

He then goes on to state: “I’m wondering where the president’s

ultimatum leaves the 60% of our population which polls last week told

us did not support military action without the UN sanction. Or the

nearly 50% who didn’t support it at this time at all.”

Bell does not state the source for these polls because they, like

him, are wrong. Today, March 21, ABC News released the following

polling figures: 67% of Americans believe that the U.S. tried enough

diplomacy, 72% of Americans support the war, 62% of Americans believe

it is right for U.S. to attack now, the president’s approval rating

overall is 67%, and the President’s approval on Iraq is 65%.

Some things are more important that opinion polls. They are facts.

Bell and his ilk have been stating that the 12 years of U.N.

inspections were working to disarm Iraq from weapons of mass

destruction and weapons it was forbidding to posses under its

agreement to surrender for its invasion of Kuwait.

The first salvos by Iraq against our troops were both a telling

sign of Iraq’s hidden weapons and a frightening reminder that Saddam

still has the capability to deliver chemical or biological warheads.

If inspections were working, how could they have overlooked these

missiles and the chemical weapons that are going to be found and

possibly used against American troops. The inspections, like Bell’s

arguments, are utter failures. Our military actions will finally

uncover his weapons, and the events that will follow the liberation

of Iraq will soundly prove that his and other liberals’ policy of

appeasement was morally wrong.

JIM BIEBER

Costa Mesa

RE: “Keep us blessed with the right to descent.” It is my sincere

hope that the incessant whining and arm-flailing from Joe Bell and

his buddies on the left continues. I have not had such exquisite

entertainment since “Seinfeld” went off the air.

STEVE LEACH

Newport Beach

Joe Bell’s column stirred me up as he almost always does, and I

guess that is his purpose. Bell is a talented writer, if he stuck to

fairy tales. He writes well, but his facts are often wrong. Today, on

March 20, his entire column is a joke. If you had funny papers, that

is where he should be.

Some years ago, your editors told Joe, “Keep it local.” Why

doesn’t he? Joe has his gun out again to shoot at conservatives. It

would be OK if he had his facts correct. I heard Col. David Hackworth

at both the library and Newport Harbor High. I was a special guest.

Some of what he said, I agreed with. Much of it, I don’t. One thing

he said after his visit -- “The questions asked at Harbor High by

11th graders were far better than those asked by adults at the

library.” I was able to visit with him for about five minutes. He and

I disagree on so much. Joe Bell wants to tell us that everyone in

Washington doesn’t know what they are doing about Iraq. Some of us

think they do.

Joe, please stick to Angel baseball.

Comment for the editors: Why don’t we get a conservative

columnist?

GEORGE GRUPE

Newport Beach