European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 07, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday january 1990 the stars and stripes Ann Landers Page 11 letters dear Ann Landers thai Little game your readers have been playing finding cities and states with the most tetters is really unfair. The cities located in Massa Pichu scots. New Hampshire and North and South Carolina have distinct advantage because those states have 11 or More , Ohio and Iowa Don t stand a Chance. The same goes for Idaho and Maine. The next time you plan to have a contest i Hope you will think of one where everybody gets an even break. Mason City Reader dear Mason City i did t think up the contest. A Reader did. From the looks of the null an awful lot of folks liked it. The responses have taken an Odd turn. Read this dear Ann Landers i like to count things. It has been a Hobby of min for Many years. May i share some interesting facts with your readers the word lord appears in the new testament7,736 times. One of the shortest words in the Bible is  i appears 53,877 limes. The word and appears in the Bible 46,277 times. If you print this letter i would prefer that you Notus my name because i Don t want Telephone Calls from strangers. You know Ann there arc a lot of Peculiar folks out there. Huntsville  Hunts there sure Are. This dear readers conies from Palmer Alaska talking about cities have you Ever heard of a place called Don t handle the bobcats without gloves Texas at this moment i have received 48 letters and card informing me that the place with the longest name according to the world Book encyclopedia is a Village inhales great Britain. Are you ready a Lanfairpwll . I Means Church of Saint Mary in a hollow of White Hazel near to a rapid Whirlpool and Saint Tysl Llo Schurch of the red  the first of the 48 came from Rachel Lewis Bluefield state College West Virginia 33 letters. I Don t know about you but i m punchy from this nutty contest. Now let s get Back to the business of the Day. Dear Ann Landers i be had it with your correspondents who complain about hospitals gouging patients by charging $7 for a aspirin. I just resumed from the emergency room. So far this morning we be had a convenience store clerk who stuck herself in the Eye with a Curling Iron and a Street person whose body is covered with abscesses. We will never collect a dime from either of them or from dozen others we will treat today. Over the years i be written off millions As a collect Ible. The Law says we can t turn away emergency patients. The Only Way i can keep this place going is by running up the Bills of our insured patients. The Only alternative is to close our doors and let the folks die inthe Street. Hospital administrator in the West dear West there must be a better Way to keep the place going than socking the insured to pay for the uninsured. Let s Hope the hospitals can figure this out. Writer feels Bush conference badly timed there have been several occasions when i be Felt compelled to write. But 1 never had until now. We All tend to be too involved with our own lives our own schedules our own wants and feelings. Especially during the holidays our perspective Narrows tothe things we need to do buying and wrapping gifts mailing out cards baking special goodies having people Over attending various panics whatever. It Al gets pretty hectic at times and i be even heard myself say that Christmas in t Worth the frustration it Gener ates. But Christmas is supposed to be a time for Joy love peace and compassion. As we All celebrated Christmas in whatever Way there were families in upheaval. Some Moun Vig a loss some awaiting the latest update from a doctor handsome just Plain waiting. My daughter 2, and my son 7 months old spent Christmas without their father. By the Grace of our father in heaven he s patrolling the Ever friendlier Borders to the cast rather than the streets and Jungles of Panama. I Don t have to Pace the Halls at night wondering. Idon t have to jump every time the phone rings agonizing Over whether it might bring Good news or bad. Idon t have to rehearse in my mind what to do or what to say to my children if their father does t come Bac the Way he left or not at All. My heart goes out to the families of those men i Panama and i honestly Hurt with them whether they be lost someone or arc just waiting for news that they arc Safe. I sit Here literally in tears wondering if there is an decency left in the world. Tomorrow i la be outraged that president Bush of whom i am a supporter was laughing and joking at his news conference even As theremins of those killed in action were taken from the air plane in Delaware that the president the reporter Sand the network found it necessary to rehash All the same questions and answers we d heard a dozen times at the same time the caskets were loaded into hearses. As commander in chief president Bush should have known when the remains of our soldiers arrived. He should have solemnly acknowledged their sacrifice an saved his press conference for another time. Tomorrow i la be angry at How Washington received them Back into our country. But tonight i la cry for those men who gave up everything because the were asked for their families who loved them and for a world that seems to have forgotten decency respect Honor and compassion. Those men and their families deserve that no the empty sympathy expressed Between jokes and shouted questions at a news conference. I ask is delaying a news conference and a few moments of silence too much to ask As a final gesture of our appreciation and respect in t a life Worth that much anymore Heidi  Bamberg West Germany smoking parents urged to consider kids continue to be appalled at the apparent Lack of concern for their children s health displayed by Many parents who smoke. I m not jumping on the let persecute All smokers bandwagon by that statement but 1 would like to ask All parents who do smoke Totake a minute and try to View this habit from a child s perspective. Today by the Heidelberg shopping Center Complex saw two parents merrily puffing away each carrying a Small child. The smoke was going directly into the squinting face of each child and i am certain both were very uncomfortable. On other occasions i Veseen parents Bend Over to strap their Little one into a stroller and drop cigarette ashes All Over the child. You can be sure that this thoughtlessness occurs at Home As Well. And of course in cars where both parents Are smoking and their children arc trapped in the Back forced to breathe smoke. I would bet an entire year s Worth of paycheck that every one of these parents would be absolutely horrified at the sight of their 18-month-old son or daughter sitting in a car scat or a stroller Puffin away on a cigarette but what these parents fail to realize is that they Are smoking for their children an subjecting them to the same health hazards they arc facing. The fact that they arc setting a poor health example goes without saying. Basically if you arc an adult and you choose to continue to smoke that s your problem. If you arc a Parent and choose to continue to smoke then you inflict this problem on your children disregarding their health and safety. Look at your addiction from your child s Point of View the next time you Light up. Max l. Shadle Heidelberg West Germany Reader praises Ramstein postal workers this has been my third Christmas season at Ramstein. This year i have seen something get dramatically belter the operation of the Ramstein North Post office this year was magnificent. My experience was that up to four mailing window were operating simultaneously and using computer equipment. This kept the lines to mail packages mov ing quickly and eliminated inc pain from mailing Christmas presents this year. Likewise inc parcel delivery window expanded its hours and was even open on sunday to deliver Christmas mail. This improvement in service at the Ramstein North Apo should be an example to All the service agencies on this or any other base. M a a pm w w v. A thanks to inc men and women of the Posl office who made in happen and Kepi smiling while they did it. Name withheld Ramstein a West Germany pen pals i am 32 years of and would he to have pen pal interested in skiing. Jimmy Robison Hub 5/12 a Apo Haw York 09162 i am 19 yews of and would nhe to have pen pals. Votoras t. Murton 21 Colon Eiten Ion Dumaguet Oty Negros Oriental philippine i am 22 years do i like to read and write letters. Febe c. Super a #1792 Quezon Street lower by cuts Taguim metro Manila. Philippine european mom col Tome e. Town icon. Up commander Tux in cml it col Suzanne l Hilus Usan Deputy commander Ednor in Chui Marie Kotelnicki Mert Proctor  production manager managing editor Cuculo Atolfi manager Thea newspaper la an authorized unofficial publication Lor members of the new Guyy services Oversea. Contents of the stars and stripes Are not necessary the official views of. Of endorsed by. To . Government the department of defense of Tea . European command. The Appa Aranca of advertising in tit publication including insert or Aupp Tamala. 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