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Overanalyzing race

Race has been a recurring theme in the past few issues of the Marine Corps Times [“Diversity down,” Aug. 11] and, frankly, I’m sick of it. Last time I checked my name tapes, the one on the left says, “U.S. Marines.” It does not say “Female,” “Black,” or “Hispanic.” Why are we focusing our attention on how many minorities we are recruiting? Do they go to a special boot camp, or perform their jobs differently than white Marines? No.

Why couldn’t the article have been about the pressures of recruiting in general? The percentage of recruits who happen not to be white is hardly a crisis. Is our Corps going to fall apart if we have too few nonwhite Marines? Do they have secret superpowers that help keep our Corps intact? No.

It is our character and heart that define who we are, not our ethnic background or gender. Focusing on religion, gender or ethnic background does nothing except divide our beloved Corps.

More bang for the buck?

Regarding “Killing from a distance” in the Aug. 11 issue: This is an encouraging article. The Marine Corps’ interest in the .338 Lapua magnum cartridge is good news.

But other, less-expensive .338-caliber magnum cartridges are available commercially from outfits such as Winchester, Weatherby and Remington. Does the .338 Lapua really offer any significant advantage over these other brands?

On politics

Re: Brian Cullen’s “Campaign Props” [Back Talk, Aug. 11]: Is he serious? Should presidential candidates not talk to the United Autoworkers union, teacher associations, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People or police officers associations? Certainly, they should. Members of our military, both retired and active duty, are American citizens. They have a right to hear from the candidates and vote for the man best suited for the job.

Marine Corps Times recently printed a huge spread on Sen. Barack Obama [“If Obama wins,” July 14]. Where is the interview of Sen. John McCain? Maybe I missed this issue. If there has not been an issue printed on McCain, is there one in the making?

Editor’s note: Marine Corps Times ran a lengthy interview with McCain in the Oct. 29 issue, before he became the presumptive Republican nominee for president. The McCain campaign has a standing offer from Military Times to discuss issues of concern to military members.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Michael Mullen recently issued a memo telling military members to stay out of politics. I found these comments disparaging to the Marines, soldiers, sailors and airmen who have served honorably on the battlefield in recent years. We should encourage our troops to participate in the political process.

After years of being used as propaganda against Congress and anti-war groups, we are told to stand idly by. When political pundits such as Rush Limbaugh call some veterans phonies, we are told to mind our business.

Why is it OK for the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., to use his Marine son’s words of support for the war as proof that we are winning in Iraq when it is not OK for anybody else’s opinions to be heard?

Am I a silent citizen shoved away in the closet, only to be put on display with tape over my mouth, or am I defender of the Constitution and the freedoms afforded in our society? Instead of encouraging debate, the chain of command would rather control the flow of information and ideology.

If this is our new standard, then I believe this policy should be enforced with political candidates, too. They should not be allowed to take photo-op visits into Iraq or Afghanistan. They should not be allowed to use us as their political billboard.

I understand the policy of respecting the commander-in-chief and maintaining the high standards of our military service, but I fail to understand why we’re discouraged from being politically engaged and active. I don’t want President Bush or Vice President Cheney to speak for me.

I actively support a specific candidate; however, I do not attempt to use my military service as propaganda, and I do not attempt to find converts among the ranks. And I firmly believe that, with my military experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan, my participation and engagement in politics, as long as it is conducted in accordance with military regulations, is beneficial to all Americans.