Letters for March 23, 2006

Hell to pay
I personally believe that no matter which side of the debate about the war in Iraq people support, there is one aspect that will affect everyone in this country now and for years to come. That is the financial cost.

At more than $400 billion and, on March 16, another $91 billion approved by Congress, and with all the tax cuts for the rich and large corporations, may I ask you, who do you think is going to pay for this?

Also, Congress has raised the deficit ceiling to almost $9 trillion. And in case you’re not sure what a trillion is, 1 trillion is a million millions. Think about it. So who’s going to pay these bills? You and I and our kids and their children. Maybe we should all send a thank you note to the senators and members of the House of Representatives who voted for taking our country to the brink of a financial disaster!

Daniel J. Johnson
Reno

Don’t drink and ride
I ride a bus to work, school and wherever I go. The bus should be a convenient and pleasant transportation. However, my past year of experience on the bus hasn’t always been delightful.

I’ve heard people loudly talk on their cell phone, and I’ve seen them spill their sodas, and I’ve seen kids jump around in the bus. Sitting next to those people makes me uncomfortable. People should be aware that the bus isn’t their private car. It’s public transportation. Whether on the yellow free bus or the pay bus, keep in mind that you’re not alone in the bus.

Some people’s behavior not only makes others uncomfortable but also risks the safety of the bus. It scares me to death when parents let their children run around the bus. Children can run over other people, or they can hurt themselves.

I want to suggest some etiquette for convenient and safe bus travel: 1. Let your children be seated. 2. Don’t talk or laugh too loud and disturb other people. 3. Don’t bring a soda without a lid. 4. If you are drunk, don’t get on the bus!

Carol Yoon
Reno

Pay your tuition
“Scholarly payment,” (Letters, March 2):

Every day, citizens from throughout Northern Nevada and eastern California step through the doors of Getchell Library at the University of Nevada, Reno, where they have access to thousands of resources.

Use is not an issue. Length and extent of use are. Currently enrolled students of the University of Nevada, Reno are given priority use. After all, in addition to being taxpayers, they are paying tuition and a special student technology fee that help to support the technology in the libraries.

The university provides guest accounts for limited use on some computers. For more extended access, Mr. Daniels may wish to visit the public library or even become a student.

Steven D. Zink
University of Nevada, Reno

Leave for the right reasons
“Hey look, people are still dying in the war” (View from the Fray, March 9):

You state that “500 people have been killed in Iraq in the wake of the Feb. 22 bombing of the Al-Askari shrine, a Shiite religious site. Ultimately, this violence began with us.”

If you had done a little research, you would know that Iraq has a long history of violence that started well before our invasion. Violence and oppression in Iraq have long been the norm rather than the exception. George W’s war is but another chapter.

The current violence is mostly a religious sectarian power struggle between the minority but historically dominant Sunnis of the central region and the majority but historically dominated Shiites of the southern region. Foreign insurgents may have a hand in the bombings, seeking to induce a civil war, but conclusive proof is missing. In other words, the violence is mostly Iraqi against Iraqi. There is little the American troops can do to quell this nascent civil war.

Saddam Hussein’s 30-year reign was one of the most violent and brutal in Iraqi history and resulted in more than 100,000 killed. His oppressive regime managed to suppress the sectarian antagonisms that are now bubbling out. An overwhelming majority of Iraqis were glad to see him go, which is why so few of them resisted our invasion three years ago. So let’s get our facts straight and stop blaming Bush for all of Iraq’s violence. While his war has caused many of Iraq’s endemic problems to re-emerge, these problems existed for decades before American troops invaded.

I voted against Bush and didn’t support his decision to illegally invade Iraq, but you are ill informed and/or naive if you think pulling our troops out of Iraq will stop the bloodshed. In all likelihood, the violence would escalate with multiple diverse factions struggling for control. A real bloodbath is likely, and there may be nothing we can do to stop it. Our withdrawal would only take the American element out of the conflict. I believe we should pull our troops out soon, not because it will end the violence, but because it is not our war and never was.

Michael O’Farrell
Reno