European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 19, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The stars and stripes a Page 11 letters alleged dishonesty concerns this Soldier Ann Landers dear Ann Landers i am 16 years old and addicted. Its not drugs or alcohol a in a hooked on soap operas. Please done to laugh. In a totally serious. # when i was 14, my parents divorced. I was so depressed i did no to want to go on living. My Only Relief was watching the soaps. A Days of our lives was my favorite. Here was a world where everyone was glamorous Rich and polite. The evil people always got caught and punished. I liked that. I imagined my parents As Victor and Angelica always doing cruel things to each other and ruining Peoples lives. I created a role for myself As the heroine. It became so real to me that i stopped Reading and did very Little Homework. My grades really went downhill. Now i worry All Day about what Julie is plotting against Victor. I am upset because it does no to look As if Snake will get his memory Back. For months i agonized Over whether Kayla would have a boy or a girl. When report cards came out a few weeks ago i had almost All Dos. Mom said she was going to take away my to. 1 begged her not to but she Aid it anyway. Now i feel As if i am All alone in the world. The thing i loved Best is gone. 1 am writing with the Hope that you will print my letter and ask my mom to give me Back the most important thing in my life. A Heartbreak in Milwaukee dear Milwaukee the most important thing in your life is to get Back into the real world. Soap operas Are fantasy that can provide a Little Relief from the anxieties of daily living but they Are not a permanent Refuge. You need counselling to make the transition. I Hope you get it. Please write again soon and let me know How things Are going. Dear Ann Landers i have been Reading you for years and i know you truly try to help people. But once in a while you go off the deep end and do some damage. This is what happened last week. You printed a letter from a woman who said it would mean so much to mothers if their daughters in Law would let them have just a Little time alone with their sons. The Mother who wrote said that she has not seen her son alone for five minutes since he married and she really missed that. Well my Mother in Law sent me that column in the mail. She could have handed it to me because she lives within walking distance but i guess she did no to have the nerve. I really became angry when i read that column which i had read two Days earlier. I tried giving my Mother in Law private time with her son but he got fed up listening to her complaints about everybody in the family and her constantly hitting him up for Money. He gave me orders not to leave him alone with her for five minutes. So miss Landers please be a Little More careful with your a one size fits ally advice. In a sure you hit the Nail right on the head a lot of times but when you miss its a Beauty. A a North Carolina Reader dear . Sorry if i put you in a difficult spot but i done to feel that your Mother in Laws mailing Calls for any kind of a response. Just carry on As always and follow your husbands instructions. The writer expressing disappointment in the army promotion system is Correct in every Way. I too am in the same boat As the writer and doing All that i can to be All i can be. The writer however left a few problems out of his letter. These Are problems of honesty and ethics. How Many soldiers who Complete coi Respondence courses do the work themselves its common practice at my unit to a a Swap test answers so one can  in fact our a Leader no ice publicly recommends that we Swap answers and disregard the education offered in the courses. Gee sergeant Are the courses too Tough to do honestly the answers Are right in front of you our a Leader no ice also suggests that we Contact soldiers who Are to ask us questions at the Board so we can a get  needless to say this is is pathetic and we need not a seek alternatives to lately . Service members have heard a lot about troop reductions. Many have expressed concern and others done to want to discuss the subject until it actually affects them. If it does affect them their first questions will be a where will i we go what will i we do a for Many it will seem like the end to their a american  needless to say the cuts May affect people who wanted to make the militai7 their career. Depending on the time they have been in the military they probably have Bills to pay and investments in their future. How could the military compensate these devoted soldiers for their time and service the results of such cuts would not be fair and it could Only serve As an insight to the failing . Economy. However there is a a Kinder and gentler alternative. First retain All Active duty military members. Then a immigrants View of certainly the Happy land social club fire was a tragedy a responsibility shared in no Small part by new York officials who made impotent attempts since 1988 to close it Down. Something about the attitudes of the patrons disturbs me. References to the a american dream a the dream of getting a Job then returning Home with More Money. This May be the Honduras dream or the dominican Republic dream but from where i sit hardly the american dream. I believe we need to redefine our i enjoy meeting friends Reading and sports. I am 23 years old. A Winston Mckain Ebony Park heart Academy Tollgate . Clarendon Jamaica West indies i enjoy cooking sports corresponding and listening to music. I am 23 years old. A Alexander Small Ebony Park heart Academy Tollgate . Clarendon Jamaica West indies i am a 37-year-old Catholic female who enjoys listening to Good music Reading watching television participating in Church activities and working in the Home. A Felice dad secretaria co mrs. Lolita Lajato 0263 Purok camia Calinagan Dumaguet City 6200 Philippines wonder How he made sergeant. Do these procedures occur in other units throughout the army sure but while soldiers Are trying to reach that High cutoff score dishonestly it leaves Little room at the top for those who have honestly accrued 900 Points or so. Honest Rifle qualification and it scores Are another chapter altogether and about Cross training its amazing How a Soldier can Complete a school and in six months a a Lead me in a Job that i have six years of commercial and military experience in. I can see the response now this Soldier needs to take this problem up the Chain of command immediately. Get a grip the a a chains is a Large part of this pathetic promotion problem cutoff scores Are an exciting Challenge. Too bad we All done to meet them honestly. Too bad we done to have More Horvathy. A name and location withheld layoffs Reader says allow voluntary outs for anyone who requests to get out Early. The . Government should be Able to make careers not end them. Second if there Are bases that need to be closed overseas relocate personnel to stateside bases. Then provide them with the Opportunity to improve America. Their jobs could Range from making communities drug free by waging a War on drugs to making shelters or providing assistance to the homeless. There Are too Many examples of How to retain Good military personnel.  this be a sensible alternative to summarize most military members would prefer a Good alternative for cuts in troops. At least the government should consider other options and provide opportunities for a better solution. A Adrienne Medina Pitburg a West Germany dream disturbs writer position to the world. Our great country will always Welcome the poor the persecuted the disenfranchised. This is our heritage and the very building blocks of which we Are made. Our Success As a nation however is not a result of those whose dream is to work save their Money and run. Living in America should not mean merely using the country to make Money. It should also be a commitment of the heart. A Harold f. Reeves hell Nikon a Greece a thought on Roth Diskette i refer to the article headlined a despite appearances recruiting a no game to  the article described the use of a game Diskette to advertise Roth to be mailed to 25,000 High school seniors. In today a environment of viruses and Trojan horses few responsible computer owners will use a Diskette that arrives unsolicited in the mail. It would be Nice to believe that the army return address will make the recipient Trust the Diskette but 1 think whoever dreamed up this scheme blew it. A col. Joseph e. Boling Heidelberg West Germany c creators Syndicate european edition col. Gene e. Townsend Usan commander editor in chief it. Col. Suzanne l. Phillips. Usan Deputy commander editor in chief Marie Kominicki Mert Proctor Deane b. Mcdermott production manager managing editor circulation manager a ? is an authorized unofficial publication for members of me uni Pitary services overseas. Contents of the stars and stripes Are not necessarily the official views of or endorsed by the . Government the department of defense or the . European command. E.,z? App Arance of advertising in this publication including inserts or ?ypplemaqt8, does not constitute endorsement by the department of de-88 or the stars and stripes of the products or services advertised. 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