European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 14, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 14letters to the editor i thursday january 14,1993  col a Emit Townsend Usan cown Antoff Pulsha Gerharo a. Zovtis form editor a news and editorial Bhaw Alicar european editor of torah Amer. News editor Bob Wicker sports editor Paul Cozby. Any editor Over Semenea. Special Section editor to write us unit 29480 Apo a 09211 Orost Wachtl 14 37 6100 Darmstadt 11, Germany news Tel Pax 06155-601416 to Call us dial 06155-601 plus Extension or Dan 348-6 plus Extension As follows. News ext 237,255.282,226,326. Sports ext. 225,269.263,332,321,221. Features ext. 230,245,341, a letters to editor ext. 2q8. Education Jimi Jones ext. 226. Business news ext. 326. News bureaus  the mama Kevin Dougherty John Doh mar. Statue scholar by Ming 2899, Pulain Barracks apr a 09937-3717 Telephone Dan 4894565 or civil-iaiy0631-52t04 Malax 0631-60094. Nornberg Germany Ron Jensen. Building 31,-wit-Lirtm o. 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Physical Handicap political ablution or any other no Merit actor of the purchaser user or pay Quot policy a secret in october i like Many in my year group submitted paperwork to leave the army under the voluntary Early release program Verp. Two months aft a i submitted my paperwork 1 heard rumours that Academy graduates and Roth scholarship personnel would have to pay Back the government to get out. I called the department of the army and spoke to. The woman in charge of processing the Verp paperwork. She confirmed this has been proposed and if the department of defense has its Way we will Nave to pay Back $17,600 per year. For example i plan to get out one year and 11 months Early so 1 would owe around $34,000. She did not know when the decision would be made just that All the paperwork would be held up until either a decision is made or the person agreed to pay. 1 asked about serving six years in the National guard reserves in lieu of my last two years on Active duty but was told 1 could Only do that with a big maybe attached if i had a letter of acceptance from a unit in the states a a difficult task from Germany. 1 find it outrageous they Are even considering this policy in times of draw Downs cutbacks and reductions in Force especially since the last three year groups have been allowed Verp with no be Imbur Semont. If i had failed my physical training test twice was overweight or got , the  would not expect repayment. Why is it that we Only found out about this through rumours when the 15-year retirement was debated it was All Over the newspapers. The woman 1 spoke to seemed surprised that i had heard about this. Why is it being kept so quiet when people s futures Are on the line �?1st it. Sharon a. Moore Baum older Germany. A. Nothing saved at Mes i can remember when there were substantial savings from shopping at cafes stores. This was especially True for cameras jewelry Etc. Now it seems that trend Nas reversed i purchased a Canon Snappy la 35mm camera for my daughter while in the United states for Christmas. The original Price was $90, on Sale for $79.95. 1 just returned from the states where 1 found the same camera at a major retail store for $54.87 everyday Price not on Sale plus the 5 percent sales tax $2.74 or a total of $57.61, a Richard Stevens Heidelberg Germany a a a. A a. A a respect for turkeys i feel the need to respond to a a let stalk Turkey a dec. 22. The writer makes a valid Point a that being the Complete insensitivity shown toward a Fine animal one that was nominated by one of our founding fathers to be our National Bird 1 must however Point out a flaw in her comment about a Butterball basketball tournament. Frozen turkeys done to Bounce. A Michael k. Ploutz Liana Germany # a keep Christ in a Messiah 1 must respond to the incident about the chaplain who decided to take Christ out of handels Messiah to say that in a appalled is not even the slightest feeling i have. When 1 read the letter 1 was so angry. If anyone is offended by the word Christ in handels Messiah then they Are offended by the whole masterpiece itself. Do those who Are offended realize that this musical phenomenon was about Christ if you Tike him out there is no handels Messiah. Does it mean that because people ate offended by the Chapel that chapels should be turned into recreation centers of office space should our hospitals not offer a Chapel to Pray should we have a Choice of neighbors because someone has been assigned quarters next to a Christian family in a offended that my children can t go to school Early and have prayer with school but private prayer How can anyone possibly be offended by that i m offended that some sit in their military office All Day and read magazines books and trash and joke about it but when 1 bring my Bible and read it on my lunch break at my desk others Are offended. Something is wrong. I notice Many Are not offended by halloween when history is very Clear that people lost their lives to human sacrifices and even today that happens along with hundreds of children sick or dying because of altered Candy fruits and cookies. But some Are offended by Christmas because we include the birth of Christ. A tech. Sgt Dee Quaranta Naples Italy. Editor s note letters from readers expressing their viewpoints or opinions Are published daily in this space. All letters must be signed. We Reserve the fight 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 include address and Telephone number. Send to letters to the editor the stars and stripes unit 29480, Apo a 09211. Letters requesting information or assistance Are answered in a Tea lure called readers action line which normally appears every Day except thursday and sunday. Letters should be signed and include address and Telephone number. Address such letters to readers action line the stars and stripes unit 29480, Apo a 09211.4th so asks equal time i m sure you meant no misinformation but the Story about the 81st fighter so being the unit with the most time in the persian Gulf Region is wrong. The 4th fighter so of Seymour Johnson fab n.c., was in the country of Oman since August of 1990, versus the september Date Given for the 81st. We re still Here and our f-15es Are still supporting present missions of operation Southern watch. How about some equal time and recognition a tech. Sgt. Scott l. Jach Dhahran saudi Arabia. A a a lets open our minds this is in response to a a rudeness everywhere dec 13but i think the letter was meant to be understood As rudeness everywhere in Germany. A xenophobia Quot is the fear and hatred of strangers foreigners or of anything that is foreign As defined in websters ninth new collegiate dictionary. A crude Quot is lacking refinement of delicacy a a rudeness is being rude i used the same reference for both of these words. After seeing exactly what these words Are supposed to mean Why would an american feel that germans Are unlike americans in the Way they treat other people that Are different from themselves How can someone lose so much perspective As to think that the United states of America is a Virgin if it were. Not for All of us with our differences and similarities in the Way we grew up which reflect upon the Way we Are today we would have no room for growth in mind body and soul. Look at All the changes and hard work americans have gone and continue to go through trying to achieve a state of a perfect  americans Arentt the Only ones working toward this state. Maybe if we not Only open  but find a Way to acquire a Charp of acceptation which is different from what our parents siblings and educators passed on to each of us we could make a substantial difference in our world. Living away from America is obviously not for everyone nor do 1 expect everyone to enjoy foreign living. But you did in fact voluntarily enter the military service if that is the status you carry Here. The amount of bigotry shown in Germany or Many other foreign countries is no greater than the past or even sometimes present America to believe otherwise is ignorance. A Maggie Esters # Stuttgart Echtor Dingen Germany. A / 4i raise cigarette prices in response to a let smokers smoke dec. 12it certainly sounds As if the writer was not ready to quit smoking during last years great american smoke out. However How can he criticize any Effort to reduce a potentially life threat Enung behaviour like smoking perhaps such an event was responsible for thousands of smokers quitting during the years. The writer proposed a More efficient use of the Money spent to promote the great american smoke out for one Day namely putting it toward the research and treatment of lung diseases. Lets talk about Cost inefficiency and consider the following expenses the annual medical costs and insurance premi urns needed to cover and treat respiratory diseases and lung cancer directly related to smoking pm guessing exceed the Cost of the great american smoke out for one Day and the huge expense of lawsuits and settlements to individuals whose health was affected by cigarettes or secondhand smoke could be greatly reduced if people just quit smoking. I suggest we raise the Price of cigarettes to $20 a pack with the bulk of the Money going toward the research and treatment of lung diseases and cancer. With All that Money we d surely have a cure for cancer sooner than later and hopefully in time for people like the writer who just Aren t ready to quit. A a. Desantis Wiesbaden German thanks for the work i would like to thank the Ramstein Germany Community for giving us All of the support this year. It was so  to be Able to serve you on four of the four a a Safe family  you done to know the happiness 1 Felt when i saw you and your families come into our postal lobby with 15 boxes on Christmas eve. The big thanks go out to the people from Wei Brincken Baum older , Pir Masens Shap Belgium Rhein main vog Tweh Kapaun and the Many other patrons who drove All the Way to Ramstein a just so we could serve them since their own Apos had already closed. To the Patron that came All the Way from semb3ch on Christmas eve after his Post office closed found out that we were not offering express mail services and complained All the Way to the postmaster a special warm thank you. It is so  to know that when i Wake up in the morning i am coming to serve people who support us with such heart. A senior airman Shane j. Stults Ramstein a Germany