European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 9, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 12 a the stars and stripes saturday May 9,1992 letters to the editor me Quot european edition col Gene k. Town to no u9af commander Publ har Bernaro a Zovistoski editor news and editorial a Iii Walker european editor Deborah Absher Bryan Nolan news editor City editor sob Wyker George Manta sports editor special sections editor to write us unit 29480 Apo a 09211 or Poat Fach 11 14 37 6100 Darmstadt 11, Germany news Tel fax 06155-601416 to Call us dial 06155-801 plus Extension or ets 348-8 plus Extension As follows news ext. 237,255,282, 226,326. Sports ext. 225,269, 263,332, 321,221. Features ext. 230, 245,341. Letters to editor ext. 206. Education Jami Jonas ext. 226. Business news ext. 326. News bureaus Bremerhaven Germany Kan cd upon building 103, cart Schurz Carem Apo a 09069 Tex phone ets 342-86bs or ctr Tot 0471-s87b2. Kaiml Autton Germany Paggy Davidson Kevin Dougherty building 2899. Pula Tel Barracks Apo a 09227-3717 Telephone civilian 0631-62104 Tel tax 063150696 Munich Germany cat new Bureau in Bombarg. Nornberg. Germany Ron Janaan bulk Long 21, William o. Darby Chaam Apo a 09222 Telephone ets 460-7256 or a Man 0911-712563. Stuttgart Germany Joseph Owen building 4303, room 201, Walace Barrack. Making add rata co vol Corpt in. Group of 8 to Wallce Barracks Apo a 06154 Telephone ets 420-7179 or Oman 0711-542571. Wurz Turq Germany John Minar room 110, River building Apo a 09030 1tephone ets 3504704 or a min 0931-71609. Brussels eel oium Rouen by Sawyer co . Embassy pc e2, Boa 002, Apo a 00724 Lex phone chilian 0032-22360967 Matt 0032-22309066. Mediterranean j. Eng Cruger and Gary Mirer Naples Italy Asa Box 66, Fpo 09621 Laphon Auto on 6251110 ext. 4860 or Chafian 003941-7024049. New York City room 401, 292 Sovath a. New York 10001 Tala Phona 212-820-3333. 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Nurnberg Dollian 0911 -712556. Ets 460-7001. Stuttgart Chuen 0711446743, ets 420-7175. Italy Naples civilian 003961-5685308, ets 625-5308 vicen2a Chuen 0444-515358, ets 834-7545, Tel fax 0444 300 641. Spain Madrid ets 685-5807, civilian and Tai Elax 003418581485. Turkey Istanbul civilian and Lex lax 0090-1-1724843 United kingdom Newbury civilian 083544768, Dan 266-3209.  display Ger Mwry 06155401247 or 801306. Ets 348-8247. Classified be Marty 09155401349, ets 3444349 advertising Tel fax 09165401412 Yvo please f \ Recycle a a taxi newspaper x an aug Tortia unofficial publication Lor Mamba of the military car vicar Ovara aaa. Content of the Start and Stripe do not nacre warily reded the official View of or endorsement by the . Government toe Dapar Imant of detente or lha . European command. The Appa Aranca d adva Nimg m Hix pub Calion including Man or up Diamanta. Doa not Oon Ankuta endorsement by me department at defense or tha Siara and step a of tha product or car vicar advertised. Every Tong advert had in in Public an on than be mad available Tor Purtha a Uta or Pau Onaga without Ragard to Raca color Ragion tax notional origin age. Martial at atut. Physical Handicap political affiliation or any other non Merit Factor Oltha purchaser user or  on car i totally agree with your article. Active duty military members and Dod civilians have been ripped off for years. I bought a Ford Mustang and arrived in Belgium from the United kingdom to pick up the car at which time i was told it had been damaged in transit a a fact not relayed to me when i was informed the car was ready for pickup. I then spent the next 18 months being Given the runaround by the salesmen cafes and Ford a each referring me to the other a without getting the car fixed or getting anyone to take responsibility to fix the car or reimburse me or replace the car. I got so fed up with the runaround and my concern with driving an unsafe car the undercarriage was damaged beyond repair traded the car in and lost Over $7,000 on the Purchase. My experience is not unusual. I would still like compensation but not one of the parties involved a salesmen cafes or Ford motor co. A will take responsibility. The procedure for reimbursement and complaints is a joke with everyone passing the Buck and the Only sufferer victim is the car purchaser. Thanks for publicizing this  Fred Phllip Raf Mildenhall England stripes dropped Ball i applaud the Well written letter about the Lack of coverage the stars and stripes gave to the unit level basketball tournament april 1-5 in Gra few Der Germany. Also a amps should be commended for printing the letter and adding an editor s note promising to a do better next  forgive me for rubbing it in but probably 400 players and their fans were scrambling for a amps newspapers during the tournament hoping to see some coverage. I know because i was there announcing the games. 1 saw every crowd pleasing slam Dunk and was amazed at the Talent of those players. The team spirit and unit Pride was absolutely thrilling. Any one of those 21 teams could have won that tournament. Each had advanced through regular season and qualifying tournaments to get there and there were no weak squads. It was the most exciting event in sports that in be witnessed in More than 20 years of officiating in military tournaments. You should have seen the excitement grow when Steve Barber of an Niernberg showed up for live radio interviews and coverage. Steve Barrett 7th army training come Public affairs officer watched games by Day and put out scores and stories All Over Europe by night. Air Force sgt. Bill Hickman of the Southern european broadcasting service Vicenza Italy kept the setae Southern european task Force audience up to Date on How its representative was doing. When news sources have people like Barber Barrett and Hickman who understand the magic and the Power of keeping its audience informed even though it is a just unit level sports great things can happen. Communities Bond together and Soldier athletes get the recognition they deserve. Thanks for letting me get in my Nickel s Worth. I realize that Only 20 percent of each Community is involved with or interested in its sports program. That Means 80 percent usually complain when local newspapers cover unit level sports. However that 20 percent has some exciting Competition during the course of a season and deserves some coverage. Several thousand people across Europe were very interested in the results of that tournament and a amps was the Best possible source for All those folks to turn to. A sgt. 1st classed Rolph Vicenza Italy editor s note a i letters from readers expressing their viewpoints or opinions Are published daily in this space. All letters must be signed. We Reserve the right to edit letters for clarity length and taste. Preference is Given to Shorter letters so that More can be published in a timely manner. Letters should be addressed to letters to the editor the stars and stripes unit 29480, Apo a 09211. Too letters requesting information or assistance Are answered in a feature called readers action line which appears on Page 16 every Day except thursday and sunday. Such letters should be addressed to readers action line the stars and stripes unit 29480, Apo a 09211.blame system not guns i have been Reading the letters about gun control in the paper for some time now. I have a few things to say about what i have read. The first would be to "ak-47 not for Hunting april 14. I have a chinese ski which is very similar to an ak-47, it even has a fixed Spike Bayonet and is semiautomatic. Of the several weapons that i own the ski is one of the Best Hunting rifles. My next comments would be addressed to a Mankind not threatened Quot also april 14. I am a Joe Bob redneck a and i am always a on  my opinion guns do not kill people do. 1 have never seen one of my guns jump off the Wall and kill someone. It is always the person on the other end of it. Everyone keeps crying about crime statistics climbing and they Call for gun control. I done to think gun control will solve anything. If a criminal wants a gun he will get one. I place the blame for our rampant crime on our Legal system. People Are not afraid to commit crimes. They know if they get caught they can either get off on a technicality or get a minimum prison sentence. And if they should have to go to jail they can just watch to or get College degrees at the taxpayers expense. A murderer should get a fair trial yes but if found guilty there should be no appeals. The punishment should be death and it should be dealt immediately. Their victims did not get a second Chance Why should they if we want to get crime under control we should do away with a slap on the wrist punishments and Start giving hard time with hard labor. A sgt. Charles l. Miller Fulda Germany a problem is not guns recently the stars and stripes ran an Ann Landers column that used the problem of children taking guns to school As a smoke screen to espouse her handgun ban Agenda. The problem is not handguns. Rather it is the Lack of moral fiber and appropriate punishment that produces Young anarchists who run roughshod Over classmates. The victims feel compelled to provide themselves the Protection the system wont. Handgun bans Are dismal failures in America. Where guns Are outlawed Only outlaws have guns and no fear of retribution. The sadistic monsters released by our prison system after serving a fraction of their sentence Are emboldened by the knowledge that their physically inferior victims possess no Means to protect themselves. The Laws necessary to effectively Deal with the criminal use of handguns Are already on the books. Weakening the defences of Law abiding citizens will not deter criminals. Swift sure punishment using existing Law will. Until the criminal Justice system comes Back to life i and the millions of other people next door who Are the National Rifle association will continue to push for tougher Laws against criminals and to protect our Constitution from attack by the misinformed searching for easy answers. A master sgt. Austin j. Hogan Dhahran saudi Arabia a Elvis does no to rate this is in response to the letter a Elvis Worth a Stamps March 31. The writer showed a Lack of understanding and knowledge in trying to compare an entertainer with a civil rights activist. 1 fail to see the correlation he a trying to make in comparing Martin Luther King or. And Elvis Presley As if that in some Way can justify putting Elvis Presley on a stamp. Elvis was an entertainer who used the music and dance moves from african american performers who were around before Elvis came onto the scene. Or. King was a reverend and peace activist whose life was taken because of his views on equal rights and non violence. To add to the writers knowledge of his a King a Elvis said on one occasion that a the Only thing a Black can do for me is Shine my  in the eyes of Many americans from a moral perspective that is a racist statement. If you wish to talk about Elvis Presley lets be honest and talk about the entire Man. He was a drug abuser. To compare Elvis to a Man who was killed for trying to bring peace and acceptance among All human beings shows an enormous amount of ignorance and Lack of sensitivity that still manifests itself in this so called a a equal nation. A spec. Christopher Nickerson Fulda Germany pen pals i am 35 year old and i would Meta to Heve Amar can pan Pax Between tha Ages of 34 and 45 who Are open hearted and Nice. 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