To the editor:

To all garage-sale holders: Please do us the courtesy of putting up signs when you hold your garage sale.

Just last week we wasted gas trying to find two and gave up.

If you want customers, direct them to the place with readable signs.

Mary Becker

Clinton

Will March 2009 look the same?

To the editor:

The war in Iraq is going on six years!

A war packaged in the stink of outright lies and incredible deceit.

A war in which contractors, like pigs, slurped up fat profits from the corporate trough.

A war where people like Colin Powell sold their soul to sell the war.

Instead of questioning our government’s war agenda, instead of reporting the truth at every turn, the mainstream media shed its responsibility and rode the wave of hype advocating war.

President Bush, along with the rest of the criminal architects of the war, should have been removed from our government before the second year had passed; before 4,000 American troops gave their lives; before almost 30,000 U.S. service members returned home, shattered in body and mind; before the death of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi men, women and children; before millions of Iraqis left their homeland to simply exist in refugee camps; before Iraqi cities, steeped in ancient history, lay in rubble; before Abu Ghraib and Quantanamo; before trillions of American tax dollars were spent; before the price continues in payment for the horrors of war.

With all these costs, can you calculate the pain of any one single soul touched by the violence of this war?

Will March of 2009 be yet another year of the occupation, of destruction, of death and suffering?

Lorraine Smalley

Langley

Another grim milestone passed

To the editor:

On this fifth anniversary of the war in Iraq, more and more information is emerging regarding the insidious maneuvering by the Bush Administration to win support among skeptical allies prior to the invasion. Top officials within the administration threatened them with trade sanctions, mocked their governments, belittled their leaders, spied on their citizens and subsequently punished many of them for not falling into line.

The two Latin American members of the UN Security Council at the time were Mexico and Chili, and their ambassadors were instrumental in rallying support among the six undecided members against the war resolution. Bush personally called the leaders of Angola, Cameroon, Chili, Guinea, Mexico and Pakistan using the Texas good old boy approach of addressing them by their first names, even though he had never met most of them. Bush’s demeanor turned to rage when several of the leaders rebuffed his initiatives.

One week before the invasion, Chili hosted a meeting with contingencies of the six undecided nations to discuss the proposal. Secretary of State Colin Powell and U.S. Ambassador John Negroponte warned the group that they were participating in “an unfriendly act” against the United States. Their diplomats were ordered to leave the meeting immediately, thereby thwarting a potential compromise that would have given Iraq the needed time to prove to the world that they harbored no weapons of mass destruction. UN arms inspector Hans Blix was called back even though he indicated that there were “probably” no weapons to be found. The rest is history.

The 4,000th American soldier died in Iraq on Easter Sunday.

Kevin Fristad

Clinton

Three candidates, but Obama is best

To the editor:

This is I think the first political letter I have ever written.

As I mull over the present presidential campaign, I have been trying to articulate exactly why I am voting for the candidate I have decided on. As many have pointed out, America is actually lucky to have three candidates of whom we can be proud for various reasons.

John McCain is an honorable man, even though I don’t believe in many of his programs; Hillary Clinton is a fiercely strong, articulate, energetic positive role model for women and someone who has promised to be ready and I am sure able to take over and lead “on day one.”

Here though, in a nutshell, is why I plan to vote enthusiastically for Barack Obama.

I am voting for him because he is not only honorable, strong, articulate and a positive role model for ALL people; he is the one who needs the U.S. to be ready and to HELP him lead “on day one.” That is why he has inspired so many young people especially, to register to vote. That, to me, is what true democracy is all about; all of us helping be leaders, not just following a leader.

Jean Shaw

Langley

Please make Mauk our school principal

To the editor:

Scott Mauk is an amazing leader and inspirational teacher.

Without him Bayview would not be the same place it is today. Scott is able to bring people together in a way that I have never seen before. He’s able to create a place for students to really feel at home and accepted.

If Scott were to leave Bayview, I’m afraid and have been told personally by many of my peers that, we would have many students dropping out from Bayview or not coming here to begin with. As current trends have shown and we students at Bayview have observed, there are constantly students leaving the high school. A good amount of them come to Bayview and have found a place to be accepted and be in a comfortable learning environment.

Scott Mauk holds the heart of this place and without him it would not at all be the same. Students are always welcome at Bayview and no matter, what I don’t think that will change, but more importantly I feel that students will not be able to feel accepted without Mr. Mauk leading us. That being the case, it seems as though trends would shift and high school students would be dropping out of the school system all together because there is not an alternative that can suit them.

So I urge the school board to please accept Scott Mauk’s offer to be principal of Bayview School and hire another teacher to fill Scott’s teaching position. I strongly believe that this is a move that is vital to the health and strength of our school system.

Ahren Bader-Jarvis

Clinton