European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 2, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse Wednesday april 2, 1986 the stars and stripes Page 11 dear Ann Landers i Hope it s not too late to respond to no admirer in Appleton who thinks those of us who believe in god Are simple minded superstitious dimwits unable to face life without a Crutch. I am no Saint Buti do have some com r Mon sense. I clipped this poem from a mag Azine no author indicated several years ago because i thought it was the perfect answer to people who think like Apple if you believe it has Merit pleas print it. . From Cedar rapids Iowa dear Iowa i do and i shall. Thanks for sending Iton. Doubter of you who could not put one Star i motion who could not build one Mountain out of Earth or Trace the pattern of a single Snow Flake or understand the Miracle of birth presumptuous mortal who cannot alter the universe in any Way or fashion one Small Bud release on Raindrop or toss one Cloud into a sunny Day of earthling who could never paint Sunset or cause one Dawn to Shine of puny Man who cannot create a single Miracle How dare you doubt the Only one who can dear readers Many wrote to Tell of incidents of non believers who changed their minds. I like this one Best dear Ann Landers i m glad to see you took a Strong stand against no admirer in Appleton wis.,"who said religion is for the Birds. When we hit Guadalcanal in 43 we had a few Guys just like him in our group. With every group we landed our chaplains jewish Catholic and protestant Hel services. None of the wimps attended. But you should have heard them when things started to get rough. They prayed cried and begged for god s help. Deep Down everybody needs to know there is somebody up there. It usually takes real trouble to bring them to their Knees. Seen it happen . Of Mich dear . Truer words were never spoken. Thank for the testimony. Dear Ann Landers i m a 15-year-old girl High school soph Omore. I have been having a lot of arguments with my Mother lately. She says my curfew on school nights is 11 30 and a de cent girl has no business to be on the streets any later. I have told her a Hundred times i m not on the streets. I am either in a car or at somebody s House or in a Nice respectable disco. Please help me. Mom is so Square could die. Alexandria Alexandria you rattled the wrong Cage Toots. A 15 year old girl should not be in a car in the Home of a Friend or in a disco at 11 30 on school nights. She should be at Home. Readers wishing to write to news America Syndi Cate columnist Landers May address their letters in care of the stars and stripes Apo 09211, us forces he says Congress is guilty of fraud waste abuse i am wondering if anyone else in the air Force agrees that congressional travel in the majority of cases is fraud waste and abuse please recall a recent stars and stripes Arti Cle on flights of fancy wherein congressmen and senators Cost taxpayers $9.28 million in1984-85 for overseas travel costs. We read about these junkets every year. What hypocrisy Congress voted itself another raise not Long ago. Gramm Rudman cuts Are everywhere. The a budget is possibly being Cut to drastically reduce Veteran health care benefits and eliminate the veterans Job training program. They also want to eliminate the new i Bill and return to leap question does elimination also mean that Vietnam Era veterans on Active duty until july 1, 1988 without a service break More than 90 Day scan still extend educational benefits for 10 years effective Jan. 1, 1990? see Public Law 98-525. At present most veterans in that category would otherwise lose benefits effectively on dec. 31, 1989. Now afr 123-2, Para. 2, describes fraud in part As intentional deception of Dod for the purpose of inducing Dod action. This includes acceptance of bribes or gratuities. Waste in part is extravagant careless or needless expenditure of abuse in part is intentional wrongful or improper use of government examples include misuse of rank position. Or misuse of resources. The regulation says the inspector Gener Al is the focal Point for prevention and the air Force audit inspection and investigation Council composed of senior air Force leaders helps protect air Force re sources. Public Law 95-452 is the basis for these authorities. To me misuse of re sources is one thing hidden in smooth rhetoric stealing. Stealing my tax Money and yours 1 want to Sec those con writer favors champs changes it is understandable that military families Are concerned about the changes to be made in the civilian health and medical program of the uniformed services. After All military health care until now has not been a wonderful experience for Many ofus. However i believe the changes proposed by Congress will greatly improve our medi Cal benefits if we but give them a Chance. Just think we will be Able to choose from a list of civilian doctors located close to our Homes rather than taking pot Luck from the nearest military Hospital some times Miles away. The new program Means we will have one doctor for the entire family As Well As having specialists if necessary. We also need to remember that civilian doctors generally Are Able to take same Day patients without an All Day wait. They also have waiting rooms with carpets and soft chairs and toys for kids and current magazines to read these doctors All have the same Educa Tion As military doctors and the same exper Tise so we will not be shorted when it comes to Quality care. The military hospitals will still be there for those who prefer to travel to them and then sit around All Day waiting to see someone while their kids drive every one crazy. Before joining the military our family belonged to a health insurance plan very similar to this one and we absolutely loved it. Each month we paid a certain amount into the fund under $100 and were Able to go to a contracted doctor whenever we needed to at an additional Cost of $5 per visit. Hospital stays and medications were also insured. We never found the contracted doctors to be less skilled than other doctors and they were always courteous and smiling taking the time to explain exactly what the prob Lem was. Military doctors and physicians assistants on the other hand Seldom have time to reassure anxious parents and fright ened children this plan worked wonderfully and Best of All was financially Independent of an outside funds. As military families of course we would not have to pay a monthly fee. Any other charges As Long As they remain Small would be Well Worth it to know that my family is receiving Quality care with no lengthy Waits for appointments. As i see it the new plan gives us the Best of both worlds military facilities for emergency or Hospital situations and civil Ian care for outpatient and routine prob lems. There will be enough doctors for everyone and the government will save Money because of greater efficiency. What could be better i Only wish we could have this plan Here in Germany. Let s give the new plan a Chance. Dynette Reynolds Kitzinger Germany Gressmen repay that Money. Unfair Well As a member of the Mili tary you pay for government property lost on refer Ger or whenever you have Custo dial care. Afr 20-14 makes government property everyone s responsibility from commanders to airmen. How can you enforce regulations when Congress fails to maintain integrity with taxpayer Money meanwhile service members beg for pay raises travel pay Hola retired cola decent housing and facilities. Those things Are real Nice to have. What we really want to Sec is leadership by i m really to the Point of sour grapes Over Zero overpricing suggestion programs fraud waste & abuse Etc. To the user level. We save dollars by crimping and Congress blows away Mil Lions on frivolous travel As the saying goes the congressman gets the Gold mine and the taxpayer gets the meanwhile Back to work. One of our benefits just began. I get to breathe our clean German air filtered even further by my Gas mask with its Panorama of the Beautiful Countryside restricted by the ditch i m in during alarm this Only costs me the Price of an Mali versus the $118,331 spent by House speaker tip o Neill and eleven others in Ireland last March to celebrate St. Patrick s Day. Talk about the Luck of the Irish by the Way i m using my pen and paper and recalling this Day s events while off am i alone in my feelings name withheld Span Dahlem a Germany the stems and of ripest j
