Letters for July 5, 2007

Soul on fire
Re “A tender Filet” (Editor’s note, June 14):

I am greatly enjoying your “Filet of Soul” series. Like you, I enjoy learning more about the spiritual side of my neighbors in Reno and Sparks. I personally respect and see value in all religious traditions. As the Truckee Meadows grows more cosmopolitan, its residents’ many diverse faiths adds to our community.

I am anxious to read about your possible future visits to the Reno Buddhist Church, the Northern Nevada Muslim Center, the Pagan and Wiccan communities, the Sikh Temple, Society of Friends, Native American faiths, the two Jewish Synagogues, Baha’i community, the Church of Scientology, Latter Day Saints, Seven Day Adventists, Church of Religious Science, Society of Christ, Jehovah Witnesses, Christian Scientists, and Reno’s many mainstream Christian denominations. I am looking forward to learning more about our traditional African-American parishes and the Russian and Greek Orthodox Churches. I am curious if Reno has an active Hindu community, Nation of Islam group, an atheist organization, and I believe there is a Mennonite community near Reno.

I hope you continue to receive many invitations from the Truckee Meadows’ spiritual communities. It is an intriguing series and thank you for sharing your explorations in the RN&R.

Alan Mentzer
Sparks

Free the truth
Re “Soldier of fortune” (Feature story, June 21):

The opening paragraphs of the article were a rich weave of images, culminating in a concise and descriptive introduction to the subject of the article: “It seems like enlisting in the military during such a protracted world-hemorrhaging of stability is something of a suicide sport.”

Indeed, young Mr. Anrig shows real potentiality for facing reality with the ironically prophetic statement, “Doesn’t mean just because you got your head in the right place you get to live.”

Still, the opening paragraphs left the remainder in a state of anticlimax, the opening paragraphs were similarly outdone by the surgical concision of the preamble provided by John Stuart Mill: “War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state … which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse.”

Never before have I seen English used in such a passionate and effective argument against the occupation.

It should come as no surprise that somebody as worldly as John Stuart Mill would speak up on the topic. The politics of these times are perverse to persons who are attentive and deeply slanderous against those who are functional.

Portals to the news constantly present fresh examples of things that are worse than war:

Equipping al-Qaida to stage a “controlled” crisis is only one of them.

Staring blankly and awaiting instructions for seven minutes when outsmarted by al-Qaida is also only one of them.

Defaming and diluting the moral import of the two-week war against Hussein with a five-year occupation of Mesopotamian civilization is another.

At least Anrig will soon get a fresh chance to exemplify the time-tested motto, “You will know the truth, and the truth can set you free.”

Flombaye Krishnabob Ellison
Auburn, Calif.

More lies on Iraq
I have been listening to all the Democrats running for president, and they all have an underlining theme: WHEN I AM PRESIDENT, I WILL PULL THE TROOPS OUT OF IRAQ IMMEDIATELY!

And all of them now in Congress what are they doing to get the troops out now? They make a small effort to do so; vote YES to take the troops out knowing there aren’t enough votes to pass the bill.

If a bill were passed in Congress and signed by the president today requiring all U.S. troops be out of Iraq on July 1, what will the Democrats talk about tomorrow?

A majority of the American and Iraqi people want U.S. troops out of Iraq. The poll numbers for Bush is at an all-time low and a historic low for Congress because of Iraq, yet Congress can’t get a bill passed calling for troop reduction/exit because Bush threatens to veto the bill?

As long as the Democratic candidates can say WHEN I AM PRESIDENT, I WILL GET THE TROOPS OUT, no action will be taken.

Dewey Quong
Reno

Doh!
Re “A tale of two cities” (Editor’s note, June 21):

I think I know what is wrong with your beans: If you had “sown” them instead of “sewn” them, you’d probably be seeing results by now. Who edits the editor?

Holly Koontz
Reno

We’re not Christian
Re “A tender Filet” (Editor’s note, June 14):

It recently came to my attention that you mentioned that you had only been invited to “Christian” churches. I am aware that we had the pleasure of your company at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship and want to assure you that Unitarian-Universalism is not a Christian church. Although the group was founded on Judeo-Christian traditions, there is no one set creed for the UUs. UUs affirm the dignity of every person, and trust in the individual’s conscience in regard to spiritual matters. As Francis David, the court preacher to John Sigismund said, “We need not think alike to love alike.”

On a personal note, I do enjoy your series greatly!

Carol L. Sorensen
Administrator, UUFNN