I found Janet Nester's article (Bush is in power -prayers are in order
Nov. 4) very offensive. Perhaps that was the point of it -to masquerade herself as a religious person to offend those that truly do have a belief in God. I find it rather difficult to believe that a practicing Catholic would go against the Catholic Church's beliefs. Catholics have always been very staunch supporters for traditional families and unborn children's rights.
In addition to this, the suggestion that those brave 1,119 soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines -who have given their lives to help free a nation from the rule of an oppressive and murderous tyrant -died in vain turns my stomach. Then to say that thousands of Iraqi women and children were murdered by our troops is absolutely disgusting. What about the 5,000 innocent men, women, children and elderly that Saddam murdered in the town of Halabja with mustard, sarin and Vx gas in 1988? This was only one of about 40 towns attacked with chemical weapons from 1987-88 (Information from U.S. State Department, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/rls/18714.htm). Or what about the hundreds of thousands of innocent people who were tortured and executed during Saddam's 23-year reign? Calling this an unfounded and senseless war is like calling the American Civil War -a war fought by many to free an oppressed people -senseless or World War II -a war fought to remove another murderous tyrant -unfounded.
Also, her statement about police officers being more at risk because The Brady Bill -the so-called assault weapons ban -was not renewed is ridiculous. The only thing this law outlawed was weapons that looked scary. It outlawed the following:
-Flash suppressors, which are nothing more than devices that disperse the muzzle blast to help reduce recoil and aid in keeping control after firing.
-Bayonet lugs, a device that allows a bayonet to be attached to the muzzle. When was the last time you heard about a crime being committed with a bayonet?
-Large capacity -not more than 10 rounds -magazines.
So firearms that are no more dangerous than traditional hunting firearms but look like assault weapons were illegal. This law did nothing about increasing the difficulty for criminals to obtain guns. Besides, if someone is going to use a gun to break the law, what do they care if they break another law in the process?
I have to admit that on Nov. 2 I was scared for our country's future. I feared what would happen to tomorrow's traditional families, unborn children, oppressed societies and our country's uniquely American right to defend our homes and families, if we made the move to the extreme left. Thank God the American public made the right decision ... again.
-Jason Leachman, a senior civil engineering major, is an NCO in the United States Marine Corps Reserve and due for rotation into Iraq this winter quarter. Send him an e-mail at leach_usmc@yahoo.com. 17
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