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Letters

‘UNACCEPTABLE, INEXCUSABLE’

With regard to “Beat the ticket” [April 20 Lifelines], I offer the following response: It is abhorrent that Marine Corps Times would advocate a service member do anything other than acknowledge his transgressions, accept the consequences and try to not repeat his mistakes. I would never fault a service member who was wrongfully stopped and cited from trying to clear his name — there is certainly no dishonor in that — however the article begins by setting forth that the person stopped has been known to “goose the gas pedal,” making no differentiation between those wrongfully stopped, and those knowingly or negligently violating the law.

Vehicle and traffic laws are in place for a reason: to protect all of us and our families. Knowingly or negligently violating these laws, especially speed laws, places innocent people at risk. It is unacceptable and inexcusable. Would-be speed racers should stick to motor speedways and stay off streets.

Lt. Col. David M. McCarthy

Torrance, Calif.

‘DON’T ASK’ BOOK FLAWED

In the fawning book review of “Unfriendly Fire” [“Evidence, not emotion, fuels new ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ debate,” Lifelines, April 13] the reviewer accepts propaganda posing as evidence and ignores the book’s one-sided approach.

Moreover, the focus of the book is backward. The homosexual policy is what it is, and the military is under no duty to change because civilian society is becoming gender-confused.

The question the author needs to address is why the military must adapt and at what cost, instead of demanding that the military justify itself.

The statistics on the discharge rate of gay soldiers is flawed, as many heterosexual privates claim to be gay just to get discharged. There is nothing a commander can do to prevent, or even prove, this legally, yet incidents of this are everywhere.

Adding one bad policy on top of several others is no answer to our existing problems of obesity, lowered physical fitness standards, “moral waivers” for new enlistees, increased incidents of sexual assault, etc. Until the author gets honest with the statistics and can advance more than a hackneyed “just because” line of reasoning and irrelevant comparisons with the civilian work force, adding more social chaos to an already overstressed military would be suicidal.

Nothing good can come out of changing the current policy.

Former Army Staff Sgt. Mark Vandendyke

Fort Campbell, Ky.

NOMINEE DOESN’T CUT IT

The April 6 article “Senator threatens to stall filling Iraq ambassador slot” leaves out key facts about the nomination of Christopher Hill. For example, the article claims Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., stands in the way of Hill’s nomination, when in fact he is one of five senators opposing President Obama’s nominee. Obama may be trying to put together a “cohesive leadership team” like that of Ryan Crocker and Army Gen. David Petraeus, but Hill’s experience in the Middle East is virtually nonexistent, as opposed to the extensive experience Crocker brought to the position. Iraq would unquestionably be on-the-job training for Hill, and fortunately we have senators like Brownback willing to stand up to the president and require a more qualified nominee. Next time, please tell both sides of the story.

Anna Baker

Japan

Remember the LCACs

My husband is a sailor assigned to Assault Craft Unit 5 out of Camp Pendleton, Calif. He is deployed with the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit and the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group. Marine Corps Times has failed horribly to mention the importance of the landing craft air cushion detachment’s participation in the MEU’s deployment. The articles I have read have mentioned only the medical unit and the helos accompanying the Boxer. No one has mentioned the hovercrafts. As a wife of an LCAC craft master, I am saddened by the disregard for the hovercraft’s contributions.

Mary Meacham

Oceanside, Calif.

2 TAKES ON CHIROPRACTIC

It was spring 1991. Operation Desert Storm had just ended, and troops were redeploying to the continental U.S. At Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., we heard that then-President George H.W. Bush was going to visit the base to welcome the airmen back. As the Air Base Operability officer at the time, I was in charge of base operations, where all personnel from transient aircraft disembarked.

On orders from the wing commander, we loaded up the furnishings in base operations and replaced them with choice furnishings from base housing to make base ops look more inviting.

While loading a heavy couch onto a truck, I felt something move in my upper back.

The next day, I had trouble moving my arms without pain and went to the base hospital. They gave me some pills for pain. On the third day, I had sharp stabbing pains in my back that allowed me to take only short half-breaths.

Taking the advice of one my noncommissioned officers, I went to see a chiropractor downtown. He did a sharp readjustment of my spine that eliminated 90 percent of the pain. After two more adjustments, the pain was gone.

In the time since then, I have occasionally had episodes where I cause my back to go out again. In the beginning, I tried doctors a few more times, but they were ineffective in relieving the pain. The chiropractor never failed to give me quick and effective relief.

After I retired and moved away from Shaw in 1993, I found another chiropractor in my community who had mastered sharp manipulation. I see him about once every two years or so and he has never failed to relieve my pain. In addition to his effectiveness, my chiropractor also charges much less than a physician. Chiropractors should be included in the military health system.

Air Force Maj. Albert M. Carter (ret.)

Greensboro, N.C.

The April 6 letter by Glenn Manceaux, president of the American Chiropractic Association [“Don’t diss chiropractic”], deceptively suggests that chiropractic is a legitimate therapy that should be extended to service members.

Every double-blind study on the subject has found no effects beyond placebo, and quite a few reported ministrations causing further injury due to misplaced beliefs on the part of the chiropractor.

I find Manceaux’s willingness to deceive and potentially harm our valiant service members revolting.

If folks really want only a massage, please visit a masseuse and save some money; they’re less likely to cause permanent nerve damage. Otherwise, I think we owe our men and women in uniform better than pseudoscientific treatments.

Air Force 2nd Lt. Brandon Phillips

Shaw Air Force Base, S.C.