European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 5, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The stars and stripes Page 11 Ann Landers dear Ann Landers last week while Ai the Park with my children i overheard a conversation Between a father and his son. The boy appeared to be about 10 years old. His father was at tempting to Leach him to play Tennis. Father How come you missed v the Ball again  Don t you know How fast a ten v Nis Ball travels the Ball travels or about 40 Mph. Did you know that the son nods. Father if you knew it Why did t you return the Ball you must be stupid. He repealed the sentence and asked again if you knew it How come you did t return the Ball son i must be. Father you must be what say it son looking Down and starting to cry 1 must be stupid. Father How come you re crying it s one thing to be stupid but to be a crybaby on top of it makes it a lot worse i was heartsick for the boy and sctt like speaking up. But i remained silent because i decided it was none of my business. Now i wish i had. Since in is quite possible Hal this Man is one of your Many readers would you please respond to him for me no name in Baton route dear . Ellb pleasure Hen t Whit 1 would have said i realize tint you it the boy father and you no to teach him to plan a Good game of Tennis but when you belittle us lid and body bin you destroy his self esteem children need approval. . It s the most powerful motivator in the world. If Yon continue to put your son Down he will in afraid to try anything. The Mutt Wilt be an insecure Young nun who is so terrified of failing that he will do nothing. Dear Ann Landers Ever since i was a child i be been More comfortable staying awake All night going to sleep just before Dawn and getting up in the afternoon. Needless to say this sleep pattern caused problems with my lq-p.m.-to-6 . Parents and later on with friends and employers i finally Learned to hide this oddity by sleeping Only three or four hours a night. It was a Strain but i was at least Able to satisfy what for me was a natural sleep Wake pattern once confided my secret to a psychiatrist Friend who quickly concluded that i was afraid of death and subconsciously trying 10 avoid it by putting off the night 1 was never aware of having such fears and his assessment surprised me. Do you believe Ann that i should gel psychiatric help and try to change my steeping habits to match those of Normal people All my life 1 have struggled with stress bul i never Felt the need o see a shrink. Frankly i consider myself fairly Well adjusted. I d appreciate your opinion. Night owl in san Diego dear night owl. Counselling might help to reduce the stress in your life but 1 cent think Yon need intensive psychiatric help. There s a difference the sleep pattern you have worked out is Normal for you and since you hive been fairly successful in plan Ning your life found it Why change if it Ain t broke dont fix  \\j39 Angatti Tim a Lyndi Call column Al land Ufi Waie Omu your Tatur. You can rtt Lyl to Tor h Cara Al to suit ind sinn of 0 own  " letters catalytic converter policy Sparks outrage editor s note the new Epa policy on catalytic con Verter testing Lias prompted Manv letters to flip stars and stripes All of them vehemently denouncing the Palter and charging that of paying $800 to ,000 for bonding and a Noii converter is  new policy whith affects car owners in West Germany and the Netherlands Lias been explained Ina number of recent articles in the stars and stripes. Under the new policy car owners who were driving overseas with catalytic converters tin their vehicles be fore Oft. I 19s7, will have to Post a Bond and Bay anew converter when they return to the United state to turf driving converter equipped cars after that Date must have their ears tested annually and then again 10 Days before shipment to the United states. The new Epa regulation regarding testing of cars Tor use of leaded gasoline is very disturbing. My car was manufactured in the United states to meet All Federal regulations for safety and emissions controls. I did not have the catalytic converter removed when it was shipped Here 2vr years ago and have never had any difficulty finding unleaded fuel for it. As 1 understand this new Epa policy though 1 will be forced to replace the converter when i ship the car Back to the states next summer because in will not be possible using the Plum Lesmo method to prove that i did not use leaded Gas while in Germany. I m no lawyer bul it seems to me Hal this constitutes a violation of constitutional guarantees of due process. It is the Burden of the government to pro Duce evidence or reasonable suspicion that some Vio lation of Law has occurred. An individual cannot be required to prove that he has not violated a Law especially if there is no specific charge with corroborating evidence against him. This applies to customs actions As Well. The government has the authority to inspect goods entering the country hut in is the duty of customs officials to find cause to prevent entry n is not the duly of the individual to prove the absence of any such cause. The actual Law appears to be directed at cars manufactured abroad being imported into the United Stales Gray Market Carsto Sec that they meet . Emission standards. My car is not being imported per be under All other customs Laws and req ulalious my car is Classi fied As american goods re entering the country and therefore not subject to Ordinary import restrictions. This regulation therefore runs contrary to Normal customs practices. The foreign policy implications of this regulation arc considerable every bit As much As the constitutional considerations. The Epa is forcing military personnel to choose Between polluting the skies of Europe without any real cause or justification or else paying for their consideration by installing a new catalytic converter on return. Even More important than expense involved with the Epa s converter ruling i find it repugnant that those of us who serve our country abroad should have our integrity questioned and our most Funda mental rights under the Constitution studiously ignored by our own government. Set. Roy m. Lehl Augsburg West Germany. 1 am infuriated by the Way the Epa has dealt with americans and the unleaded Gas situation Here in Europe it is a casual disregard for those of us who shipped converter equipped vehicles Here More thana year ago Why must we test anyway being stationed in Ger Many is no different from being in the Stales where the availability of unleaded Gas is concerned. In the slates everyone is Honor bound to Only pump the right gasoline into his or her  Are we not trusted to the same extent As the average Joe in Iowa -.-,i was counselled by three different transp Orla Tion officials in the slates who All told me to leave the catalytic converter on my car. They All said to disregard the written guidance to remove it. Because unleaded Gas was now widely available find that the policy was being rewritten anyway. Now i and thousands of other Scricc members and government employees arc going to face an 1800 to $ 1,000 expense upon our stateside arrival during a period of permanent change of station pcs expense and other relocation problems because of the Epa s inability to establish a policy based on common sense and Trust of the american Serviceman and Servic woman. I Hope that everyone who is affected by this policy will write his or her congressman and the Epa As Well. Capt. Martin e. Or conc bad Kreuz Nach West Germany. Unfair outrageous � those arc two of the Milder adjectives i use to describe the new Epa policy involving plumb Tesmo testing of All vehicles prior to shipping a Carlo the United slates from overseas ports. Don t get me wrong. I strongly support the efforts of the . Government to clean up an already Over polluted ecological environment. Clean air As Well As pure water and an unlit Rcd Countryside is a birth right of All americans. I can support the Epa j efforts to ensure that automobiles destined for operation on our nation s highways arc in full compliance with established emissions standards. 1 think that these standards however need to be fair and applicable to All americans including americans stationed or living overseas. In december 1985,1 shipped my 1983 Nissan Senora to my duty assignment in Germany i was told by the inspector of the military port at Bayonne n a. That in was my Choice whether i took my catalytic converter off _ j .1_. ,1. A a of. Culini experienced Only minor problems buying unleaded Gas and at no Lime did i place leaded fuel in my car. Furthermore i feel proud of the fact that have done my part to protect the German atmosphere from fur ther harmful  the Epa. Now three years later As i prepare to return my emission protected Carlo the United Stales i am faced with posting a Bond and buying a new converter with these costs estimated at $800 to 11,000. Hold it the new Epa policy did t exist when 1 came to Germany to serve my Lour. The Epa is changing the rules of the game after the game has commenced. If i had known from the outset that i May have faced this kind of expense i would have removed my converter. Now i m expected to sit Back and Lake his outrageous penalty. Why can t the Epa Grandfather this new policy so that those of us already Here arc not penalized because our cars can t meet the plumb Tesmo test the test should Only apply to those who ship their automobile overseas after the emission testing pro Gram was implemented oct. 1, 1988. Secondly the Epa could require those individuals who have had converters on their cars for More than a year to have their cars tested stateside. Just submit the ear to an emissions lest in the slate the car arrives in and if it passes then drive off into the country. I for one would put my car up against any car of its age on the american roads today. To me As it is to most people $800 to $1,000 is hoi Petty Cash. I also do not want to sell my car. It runs Fine and 1 believe in still has a Good Many years left on in. Furthermore i Don t believe i should be faced with this sell or pay the Price option. I really did t do anything wrong to deserve in. Capt. Joseph d. Lofgren. Augsburg West Germany. ,. 1 Kun a Ioanu the Stio ind by Pei. To w21 1. Incur Illonal null. The Surg and sum phallic a 1 1 1oi. D.bim1 Din Neidt 1 1. Of nun. Tol a diary Damil Adl Mimp i237e 711 Oil to Lii a Lihan 0015516010eta 34frs ii �-5a23 pm 19-u2. To Iii Otiss wis. T. Vork of Fca room 401, lit of Isamii an new Voik 10001, to a Italy. N5a Boi 6�. Fpo my us Laureni Auto Vos d20-11io .4eaornipia ,ixnmi.7e2t. ,. In Rte Kiho ook Din Dun. Buldon i m ec9s-u. Saf lit Ana. Apo iki17. Tau Phona Stu Toton to flow or whoa Hal to 0010- l col left set Cook Usa. Commander Era Ito m Chial. It col Suzanne l Phillips u3af i. T a fit Coromar  01 57070 h ud7t. My. Vow 7100. 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