European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 13, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday november 13, 1990 the stars and stripes a Page 11 letters looking to build on diligent Succes Sann Landers dear Ann Landers we just Hope the Good lord gives us the strength to write this Fetter. Our hearts Are heavy and there is so much to say. Can it be possible that our 13-year-old son is dead or will we Wake up and find it was a bad dream As smart As he was How could our child have been playing with a gun How in the world did he find that old weapon that had been hidden away for so Many years Why did no to we know he had this deadly thing in his room Why did no to we realize that nothing is out of the reach of a curious Young lad Why did no to we throw away the bullets Why did we even have a gun in the first place people with children  have guns in the House. Can it be that one of your readers has a gun and a child at Home will some Loving parents who Are Reading this now make the same deadly mistake and lose a Beautiful child As we did Why were we so out of touch that we assumed our child would have no interest in guns is it possible that some parents might foolishly believe they have nothing to worry about because their children have been taught gun safety perhaps the tragic death of our Bright Beautiful Happy son will help save the life of another child because we Are writing this letter. These Are painful questions and we Hope and Pray that the parents who read this and Are Lucky enough to have healthy children will pay attention. A in memory of t j. Dear parents of  i cannot add a single word to what you have written nor can i answer any of the poignant heart wrenching questions you be raised. All i can do is offer you my Heartfelt condolences print your letter and Pray that someone pays  Ann Landers a recent newsletter published by the senior lawyer division of the american bar association pointed out the significance of your contribution to the Public. You responded to a 74-year-old terminally ill woman a request for information on How to ensure that her wishes to avoid artificial prolongation of her life would be respected. You suggested that she a and your readers a Send for a splendid brochure put out by the american bar association entitled a death care Powers of  i have always Felt that judges have an awesome responsibility because of the Power they possess Over the lives of others. I would not hesitate to put you in that category. When a single mention in your column generates 300 Telephone Calls and 10,000 written requests two Days after the column appears in print and 100,000 requests come in within a month it demonstrates the incredible Impact you have on the Reading Public and the influence you Wield in America. Keep up the Good work. Joseph Schneider presiding judge circuit court of Cook county Chicago dear judge Schneider thank you your Honor for those generous words. I am delighted at the Fine response and under oath i Promise not to let your comments go to my head. Laugh for the Day from the Oxford press Oxford Ohio a gourmets of any religious persuasion can Register to attend the class entitled a fundamental gourmet cooking methods and  a typographical error in last weeks paper was not intended to limit the class to methodists  c creators Syndicate As our country prepares itself once again for a possible War on foreign soil we see a resurgence of american Pride m our service members. We Are proud of what our soldiers and sailors can do and have done in the arabian Peninsula. We should be proud and we should stand by our Brothers and Sisters in the Gulf. We Are also proud of what our politicians have done toward the reunification and eradication of communism in Central Europe. The situation in the persian Gulf is not so unfamiliar for the United states in that we have been using a Strong military presence to deter aggression and achieve goals in Central Europe for Over 40 years. The unit i am serving with has a Long and proud history of facing off oppression around the world. We have been in Central Europe from the beginning except for a break during Vietnam where we fought with Pride and distinguished ourselves As the Best. Since Vietnam my unit has been stationed in Fulda Germany a Mere 13 Kilometres from what used to be East Germany. For almost 20 years we stood Eye to Eye with the East germans and soviets providing a screen for the rest of the world in Case of aggression. I have been with the unit for 19 months and have seen the situation change drastically. I was Here at 7 10 . That evening of nov. 9.1 knew the feeling of bewilderment and fear of what would happen next. I shared the Joy with the West germans. I saw families reunited after 40 years. I worked in food lines for East germans in the beginning and recently on oct. 3,1 had the privilege of seeing first hand the result of hundreds of thousands of american soldiers Diligence and sacrifice for Freedom and the ideals of democracy. I witnessed the final step in the consolidation of the once divided Germany the dissolution of that Long standing Iron curtain. At Midnight on the eve of oct. 3, while the rest of the world was focused on Berlin and the festivities there i was in a Small town called Tann. For More than a Kilometre prior to reaching what used to be the Border thousands of germans could be witnessed celebrating the reunification of their Long divided country. There were so Many that it seemed As u the ground Ana the Border were a sea of life. The area Between the fences that had once been desolate except for the mines set up to contain its own people was now teeming with the exuberance of the German people. There were festivities and celebrations that surpassed our greatest expectations and rivalled our Homecoming parades for soldiers returning from Wii. As we walked into former East Germany we could feel the Eer iness of treading unexplored ground of new ground. For so Long we had watched that narrow strip of land for anything to occur. That Fence had been hostile foreboding but now it was a Symbol. We Are proud for without our constant Diligence this would not have been possible. And the common German knew it. We joined with the germans Celebration and were treated like heroes and victors. We had won a War without firing a shot. We Are proud of ourselves and the germans Are proud of us and what we have done. It is evident to any american Soldier who visits former East Germany. But i wonder does the american Public feel the same today As you sit in your Homes with your families i ask one thing that you remember our Brothers Sisters sons and daughters husbands and wives still stationed in Europe and those who Are facing an even greater Border duty than any to Date. Our comrades our other family Are facing a monster More frightening More unpredictable than even Hitler himself. They Are living with a daily threat of War. American servicemen and women have never let you Down and we will not now remember them and Pray for them. We have already won one War without a shot Pray we can do the same again. A Chi. Harold k. Lewis Fulda Germany rude adults set bad example Reader says last year i attended a Parent teacher student organization pts meeting at Niernberg elementary school. During the first half of the program the second graders performed an excellent musical skit. All of the second Grade classes were involved so Many parents and relatives attended. The second half of the program was reserved for sixth Grade students to give individualized presentations of dramatic a Story  Only four or five students were involved and it was obvious they had practice diligently. These children were probably quite nervous about performing in front of a live audience of parents and teachers. They too did an outstanding Job. What was thoroughly appalling was that Between the second Grade performance and the sixth Grade performance three fourths of the audience left not waiting to see the older children Complete their part in the show. How heartbreaking for these kids who had practice so hard. Obviously this rudeness is typical and not atypical. This year i attended an open House at the elementary school. The beginning of the program was a Welcome by the principal the District superintendent and various Community leaders. Then the teachers were introduced. Finally the officers of the pts gave very Brief reports. The meeting was As Short As possible and focused on reasonably important information for parents and students. People were then supposed to visit their children a classrooms. Of course this was not the course of events. Adults talked throughout the program so that those who were listening could barely hear. When the pts officers came Forward to give their very Brief reports again three fourths of the audience loudly and rudely left the meeting. These boors were in a hurry to Rush to the classrooms probably arriving before the teachers even had a Chance to unlock the classroom doors. It was an embarrassment to those who remained in the audience and a humiliation to those who needed to present information. It is no wonder that people of other countries perceive us for the most part As rude and inconsiderate americans. It is no wonder that our children think it is of to talk whenever they want in the classroom. It is no wonder that student behaviour in the movie Heaters in school assemblies on school buses and in Public places is rude and inconsiderate. Its no wonder that these Young people often Are judged As having no concern for one another. We As adults and parents Are setting a horrible example with our rude and inconsiderate behaviour. What is wrong with us that we cannot sit still and quiet Long enough to listen to a few charming sixth graders Tell their stories far better to make a few children feel the glow of some applause than to be wherever we need to be. The next time your child receives a reprimand for behaviour in school or he or she is rude at Home maybe you should consider what kind of example you have set. Perhaps the military should consider a a training Day on etiquette and consideration for adults. A name withheld Firth Germany european edition circulation 190,000 col Gene e. Townsend Usan commander editor in chief it. Col Gayle w. Fix Usa Deputy commander editor in chief Marie Kominicki Bob Wicker Deane b. Mcdermott production manager managing editor circulation manager ills newspaper to an authorized unofficial publication for members of the 7 s��008 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 u.8. European command. 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