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HELP SENT TO HAITI

I can tell you from experience that there is nothing more heartbreaking and rewarding than deploying for humanitarian aid. You see people during the worst days of their lives, and the fact that you are able to help even a little bit is worth every hardship you have to endure.

— technomage1

Not everyone gets that warm and fuzzy from helping out. … While I see a need to send people, I also feel they should ask those who would like to go, rather than just grab everyone at command ‘X’ and send them.

— garhkal

I would argue that it is very important [to help in the wake of Haiti’s earthquake], not just from a humanitarian standpoint but from a foreign policy standpoint. Having the U.S. take the lead in this reinforces U.S. leadership in the world and especially in our hemisphere.

— Nickymaz

MARINES IN ‘AVATAR’

With respect to Marine involvement in the film “Avatar” [“Signals crossed,” Jan. 25], every review of the film recognizes that the quasi-military force raping the fictional planet is composed of mercenaries, [and not Marines].

We should focus on the fact that the true heroes of the film are former Marines: the paraplegic, Jake Sully; and the heroic female helicopter pilot, Trudy Chacon. Yes, the mercenaries are dressed like Marines, they act like Marines, and — without reference to their mission — are heroic. And even if they were former Marines, they were not in the service of their country, but mercenaries of a mega-corporation.

— Victor E. Bianchini, Colonel, USMCR, Ret.

The hero of the movie is a former Marine who didn’t let his paralysis keep him from getting the job done. That epitomizes the very nature of what we want Marines to be.

— SailorDave

The only derogative lines [against Marines] in the movie comes from some of the scientists, who constantly talk about how dumb Jarheads are.

“I don’t need another idiot running around with a gun,” is a line from the movie that I remember. Jake just smiles.

— kenny10

TALK ABOUT TATTOOS

Applicants attempting to join the Marine Corps have been turned down because of the 2007 tattoo policy and their inability to get waivers. Marines with tattoos that are offensive and/or racist, I have no issues turning away. But we had a guy [get denied] who had a religious tattoo on each forearm. I think the pre-2007 policy was fine.

— KrashKatz