Sep 15, 2004 3 min read

My two brothers and I served in the U.S. Army. My oldest brother was in Germany when the Cold War was hot in the ’50s. My elder brother served in the states at a Nike Missile Site near Pittsburgh, and I served 15 months duty in South Korea in 1961-62. We find it difficult to understand why the vice president sought five deferments so he could avoid serving our country. Yet, Dick Cheney is a war hawk who, along with the president, is responsible for, as of Sept. 8, 2004, a thousand brave American soldiers’ deaths. Also, more than 7,000 American soldiers are terribly wounded in an unnecessary war that was built on a pack of lies.

The Jerusalem Report almost two years ago, stated then that Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction. Israeli Special Forces had infiltrated Western Iraq and found no such weapons.

The greatest terror supporting government, that hates the democracy of Israel is none other than Saudi Arabia whose royal family is dear friends of the president.

Otto Van Bismark, considered the greatest statesman of the 19th century, said in effect, that war, as a diplomatic tool, was one of absolute last resort. Bush and Cheney made war a choice of first resort. The blood of thousands is on their hands, and like Pontus Pilate, their hands will never be clean again.

I made the mistake of supporting Bush and Cheney in 2002, but that will not be repeated in 2004. Hopefully the American voter will send Bush and Cheney back to their respective states in January where they cannot harm anymore the world community and our beloved America.

Floyd A. Laubham

Fairchance

Kerry will take care of seniors

An ongoing concern of seniors is the cost of prescription drugs. In the last year, drug prices have risen 17 percent and will continue to soar until cost containment measures are enacted.

It is inconceivable that many seniors after paying their monthly bills must then decide (with the money left) what food they will buy and what prescription drugs will get filled. In many instances prescriptions are not filled or those filled are taken less frequently than prescribed.

Sens. John Kerry and John Edwards have addressed this issue by supporting a plan to place a drug benefit under Medicare, which would eliminate private insurance companies that can charge seniors whatever they want. Their plan would also require the secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate better prices for prescription drugs. States would be allowed to provide drug discounts by giving them incentives to implement more efficient contracting in order to obtain better rates for prescription drugs.

Sen. Kerry and Sen. Edwards are sympathetic to the problems facing seniors and will work to being about better prices and fairer coverage for prescription drugs.

Mary Zsiros

Uniontown