European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 23, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 the stars and stripes Friday january 23,1967 =T1iTTTTT1TT"""" Iron Contra Deol polarizes Public views in reference to a letter appearing on new year s Day i choose to differ with the writer who presented a complacent viewpoint or the Iran Centra operation and supported whatever role the while House May have played in the affair. I am embarrassed by revelations the president sup ported the Sale of weapons to Iran circumventing an arms embargo which was enacted in 1979 during the american hostage crisis. The White House justification for the sales of brokering a better relationship with Tehran and influencing the release of our hos tages in Lebanon by Selling Iran Tow missiles and spare pans of Hawk missile batteries is humiliating. On one hand we recognize Iran As a terrorist state. On the other hand we have secretly sold them military hardware supporting their War efforts i had supported the White House in our struggle against terrorism but now i feel Lei Down. The Strong moral principle behind our policy of not dealing with terrorists earned the admiration of americans and our allies abroad. Yet that admiration suffered a severe blow As it became Clear that the Wisdom of not dealing with terrorists lost us meaning when the White House sold weapons to a hostile nation. As if the arms sales were not enough the apparent misappropriation of profits from the weapons to finance the Central is equally disturbing. Disturbing because such funding is presumably prohibited by Law the Boland amendment As rewritten in 19s5. Confidence in government and leadership relies upon trustworthiness. Whatever Good intentions one May embrace we must not tolerate those who skirt Legal responsibility to serve their special interests whoever May be responsible for attempting to divert the arms profits to the contras May have in effect. Encouraged Congress to reduce or Cut off its Contra Aid in the future. At Best the Iran Contra operation was very poor politics. It has caused an uproar of sentiment in Amer Ica that our government was deceiving Congress and the people. It has damaged our foreign policy abroad. And it has detrimentally affected support for an otherwise very popular president. Lawrence l. Palmer Heidelberg 1 wish to add my sincere endorsement to a recent letter writer of Hain Badi Germany. The writer states that he is convinced that the Media has made a Case against president Reagan. I would like to go a Little farther and state that i feel that the presi Dent should have done it. I also feel that it is about Lime the american Public wakes up and smells the roses. The Media howls for blood preferably the blood of our elected leaders any time they the leaders try to do something to prevent the forces of communism from achieving their suited goal of world domination. Yes it is True that the president did not go on television and try and conduct a popularity poll of his actions but then he already did that in 1980 when the american Public re elected him to the of fice of the presidency he was told to run the country with our Best interests in mind and i feel thai he has done a pretty Good Job so far. What you say he sold weapons to one country and information to another country and then hid the Gall to try to be a Good american capitalist and use the profits of that Deal to help defeat another corny until regime How tacky1 of course if h. Ross Perot had done it the Deal would have sparked a monster sized rally on Wall Street but not the Leader of a capitalistic country heaven forbid come on people when Are we going to realize that the business of running the country belong in the hands of our elected Leaden not with the self serv ing ratings hungry Media personalities who try their absolute Best to Lead America Down the path of one world Ness read communism either through Short sightedness or through open following of toe line Laid Down by Moscow yes there is some objective Ness on the part of some members of the fourth estate but it does seem to become clouded when an Issue such As hit surfaces. I for one feel that devoting the first 10 minute or so in the 7 . News period on an radio every duly Day for the past week or so is not objective reporting. Are there not other newsworthy incidents happen ing anywhere in the world How about the Economy or steel strikes staff Sot. Michel r. Mcquerry Frankfurt readers rap family for move to the article homesick emigres arrive in Moscow compelled me to recheck the cover Page to make sure i had t accidentally picked up a copy of pravda the official soviet communist party line is Well rep resented in the article Complete with a burst of anti american propaganda from Moscow  if he up1 Moscow correspondent had wanted to write a fair Complete and balanced article he would have answered lome glaringly obvious questions Why did these people leave the soviet Union in the first place and Settle in the United slates of All coun tries Why As reported in the second paragraph were there. No friends or relatives. Visible Lowel come them Back into the fold did t the returnees write or Telephone ahead of Lime or were their friends and relatives shunned and isolated by being associated Wilh someone who dared apply for an Eim visa Dpi Moscow correspondent should avoid the trap to which Many . Journalists fall victim. In his Book reluctant Farewell Andrew Nagorski Newsweek Moscow Bureau chief May 1981 to a gust 1982 describes the vast majority of copy produced by Western correspondents. As a re writing of dispatches and articles issued by toss and the soviet  Nagorski also quotes the London times Moscow correspondent Michael Binyon s reason for such Reli Ance on the soviet official press it is far Wiser and More tactful to let the russians make their own criticisms of their society than to judge them and pontificate As an outsider with differed assumptions and  this sort of excuse might be barely tolerable if the soviets censored every article written by visiting journalists. But they do not. A journalist has a bigger Job than just rehashing official government hand outs a Good follow up would be a year from now re visiting these returnees to judge their readjustment to soviet life. In the meantime 1 Hope the stars and stripes will publish articles that answer All the questions. Capt. Christopher Slenga bewitch Raf upper Heyford England this Story greatly distresses me in that someone did not educate Valeric and Lydia Kyj Cvar As to the difference Between democracy and communism in the last two paragraphs of the article Valerie Klever is asked what kind of Freedom there is in the United states. To which he responds you have to worry about your apartment life family. Every year was waiting for the next Dollar to pay my Bills. It is not Freedom. Or. Klever could not be More wrong. What he is talking about is the Freedom to fait. People emigrating to the . From communist countries tend to focus on the Freedom to succeed but do not under stand that the reverse is also True. Under communism the system guarantees that you can succeed in terms of the greater common Good and that in return the system will not let you the individual fail. So or. Klever will like communism because he will not be allowed to fail and his apart ment life and family will be taken care of by the state. He does not have to shoulder the personal responsibility for his family s Batic needs. Under democracy he individual exercises the free Dom to try. The degree to which he tries and succeeds or fails is a function of the social economic Environ ment and the individual s brains and drive. The Beauty of it is that the Opportunity to reach for the brass ring is always there regardless of How Many times you fail. Ii is this knowledge thai there is always Hope and Opportunity that make democracy preferable to communism. In communism the Best that one can Hope for is to be equal Wilh everyone else. This in itself necessitates that their Standard of living be markedly lower than that of a democracy but the basics tit provided. So yes or. Klever 1, like you will worry about the Bills paying the rent and providing clothing and education for my family. But understand that i take great Pride in accepting that responsibility in Stead of letting someone else do my Job for me. The Good lord willing 1 will Rise above the need to focus totally on those Basic needs and live to enjoy a Quality of life you can Only dream about. I wish Valerie and Lydia a Long life in Russia and an Early recognition of what they have turned their backs on David Hudspeth Roedelheim Germany clarity in Organ transplant program urged a recent article dealing with Organ transplants hit a very responsive note Wilh me. I for one would like to be assured that my organs will be donated to someone who can use them should i be unfortunate enough to lose my life in an Accident or under Simi Lar circumstances. I Don t care whether the donation process is done under army or european auspices. I just want in done and the Best Way that i know to ensure that my desires Are immediately known under emergency circumstances is to have in my Wallet the Universal donor card both the american and the German version. I believe that Many members of the . Forces Here in Europe would also be willing to donate if they Only knew How or had the Chance. This was the thinking behind my suggestion sub Mission in 1979, and again in 1983, that the usar eur vehicle registry or similar agencies in coun tries Olbur than Germany include the Universal donor card when registrations and or Drivers licenses Are sent to customers. This is not to say that the card will be used by the recipient but at least it is in their hands and they can think about in and hopefully Complete in. The state of new Jersey follows this same procedure. Unfortunately my suggestion both limes wound up on the desk of someone who found Many reasons Why it should t be done and was disapproved. Perhaps this letter will be read by someone who cares and can make a difference. I Hope so. The life thai May be saved May be his own. Nicholas Sheslo ple ecu vim Germany editor s note col. John Parker surgical consultant 7th medical come replies thank you far your letter. This gives me an Opportunity of publicly halt that Lead Quarleri 7th medi Cal come in conjunction with ill the components of the european command Neucom and the depart ment of defense is totally in support of the . Armed forces transplant program. In previous articles in the Stan and stripes and in response to Ltd Tori to the editor the proposed Usa eur Neucom donor program has 6tn cart fully outlined. In the Early Spring Lan Ditull army regional medical Center donor card hold be readily available la toy medical clinic within Usab eur. They will be accompanied by Small Booklet that explain the Organ donor program in detail. Your letter also Girt me the Opportunity to let Yon know that your auntie Ion is More Tun Likely on my desk. The idea for the information that ii on a donor card to be on the Usa eur License if not new. This Niue we originally staffed by Kea Quarleri 7th medical come in the Early Doi. So you can Tec that your logic Tolan did wind no on the desk of Genoa who Italy Don Cue about the Organ donor program worldwide individual like yourself who arc committed to the concept of Organ donation Are critical for in sex Olence. There Are Many Arallen face throughout the world because they have been the beneficiary of someone Kite yourself who be committed to he concept of Organ donation