Letters to the Editor – 3/26/14
Pyrrhic victory
Jerry Coffee gave his usual anti-Obama rant in the Feb. 19 issue. In it he recites a very touching quote by Defense Secretary Robert Gates honoring Marine Capt. Douglas Zembiec for his heroism. Then, of course, he accuses the president for not having the “stomach” for victory, and presumably advocates continuing our involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan – wars that were started (at least in Iraq) under false pretenses by Coffee’s buddy George W. and crew. He conveniently ignores, however, one glaring fact: The majority of the American people, Republicans and Democrats alike, want out of these wars. Remember the American people? We are the ones the president is sworn to serve.
In his comments I see the familiar pattern of old men willing to send young men off to war. I have a son serving in the U.S. Army. He has gone on four dangerous deployments to Afghanistan. I don’t want him or his friends put at risk just to satisfy Mr. Coffee’s brand of victory.
Robin R. Sagadraca
Mililani
Polar bears OK
That polar bear in Dick Adair’s cartoon (Feb. 26) is not crying about global warming. He’s protesting the misuse of his picture. The woman who took the original pictures of the bears on icebergs has stated that they show no such thing and she has protested the hijacking of her work in the service of a scam to garner government and foundation grants to study “global warming.” Polar bears will go wherever the seals go and do not necessarily need icebergs to get to the seals.
Patrick Moore, co-founder of Greenpeace, recently testified before Congress that “there is no scientific proof that human emissions of carbon dioxide are the dominant cause of the minor warming of the Earth’s atmosphere over the past 100 years.” Moore said: “Today, we live in an unusually cold period in the history of life on earth, and there is no reason to believe that a warmer climate would be anything but beneficial for humans and the majority of other species.” How many people saw the full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal signed by hundreds of scientists who dispute that humans are primarily responsible for climate change? An article by a UH professor last year suggested that solar activity had more to do with climate change than carbon dioxide emissions do.
Current EPA administrator Gina McCarthy said EPA actions to limit greenhouse gases would not solve any climate problems, but stressed that the U.S. needs to be a leader to attract international commitment. Tell that to China and India while we destroy our own economy, as Spain has.
Carol R. White
Honolulu
Email letters to: dchapman@midweek.com
