Letters, letters, letters

The Nugget welcomes contributions from its readers, which must include the writer's name, address and phone number. Letters to the Editor is an open forum for the community and contains unsolicited opinions not necessarily shared by the Editor. The Nugget reserves the right to edit, omit, respond or ask for a response to letters submitted to the Editor. Letters should be no longer than 300 words. Unpublished items are not acknowledged or returned. The deadline for all letters is noon Monday.

To the Editor:

In order to "stay the course" course corrections are sometimes needed to attain our goals and reach our destination.

We always knew some type of American military presence in Iraq would be very long-term such as in Germany and Japan over 60 years now.

We have 320,000 military personnel in over 120 countries. Key among them Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Each of these countries has asked us to guard them.

Now, however long it takes, we must finish the job in Iraq and Afghanistan and destroy al Qaida, Ansar al Islam, Hezbullah, Islamic Jihad and any other groups or individuals who war against us.

These terrorists have sworn to murder us forever.

It is time for the American public to choose a side. If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem.

Our enemies will attack just before the presidential election as they did in Spain. We shouldn't need another 9-11 to rally our cause.

Steve Coltin

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To the Editor,

Like many people, my life has been affected by the war in Iraq.

Three years ago the daughter I gave up for adoption in London in 1961 contacted me for the first time. She and her Irish husband and my only 3 grandchildren live in Wales. They are about to move to France, so I think of them as Europeans.

I've been an international traveler all my life and have been to Wales twice a year since our reunion.

I didn't let the 9-11 attacks cancel my first flight in October, 2001. Europeans were very supportive of our citizens and compassionate about our plight.

But now I feel so ashamed of our country that I don't know if I have the courage to travel to Europe again.

When in Europe, it's impossible to pretend that America isn't an ugly, aggressive nation.

I've opposed the invasion from the beginning, but the recent revelations and pictures of U.S. soldiers abusing and disrespecting the rights of Iraqi resistance fighters reveal an even uglier side of the war and occupation.

The spectacle of our troops committing war crimes on camera is shameful, as is the arrogance of the Adminstration's blatant disregard for international law and human rights.

Will my eight-year-old grandson be ashamed to tell his new friends in France that his grandmother is American? What can I tell him to explain? Will my daughter start hiding her American heritage?

My other grandchildren are just three and one. I wonder if U.S. foreign policy is making the world too dangerous and unfriendly for me to be part of their lives.

After waiting 40 years to see my daughter, it makes me so very sad to think that I may be cut off from her and her family again, all because America seems to be too arrogant to keep any friends in the world.

Jane Stevens

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To the Editor:

Panoramic Estate Residents -- You recently received a petition from the Deschutes County Board of Commissioners to improve the roads in Panoramic Estates. For all that responded by returning the petition, by letter or by phone, thank you.

There was concern from some residents that the Panoramic View Special Road District was paying for postage or other things pertaining to the petition. They did not! Several residents living in Panoramic Estates wanted to improve the roads for reasons that were in the letter sent to each landowner. These residents did the research with the county and paid for the mailing themselves.

The results of the petition based on the return and comments were that this would be tabled for an indefinite period.

If you would like to be informed of the Panoramic View Special Road District's meetings and minutes, you may by e-mailing to [email protected]