European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 14, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 12 letters to the editor monday february 14,1994 thes and tripes european edition col Steven s. Hoffman Usan commander publisher Bernard a. Zovistoski editor news and editorial Deborah Abt her news editor Bill Walker european editor Bob Wicker sports editor George Menes City editor to write us unit 29480 Apoate 09211 Orost Facell 1437 64278 Darmstadt Germany news Tel fax 06155-601416 to Call us dial 06155-601 plus Extension or Dan 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. 208. Education Jim Jones ext. 226. Business news ext. 326. News bureaus Heidelberg Germany Joseph Owen room 117, Rome str. 104. 69126 Heidelberg car 419, Box 1318. Apo a 09102 Telephone Dan 370-7010 or civilian 06221-23421 Tel fax 06221 -23421. 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The appearance of advertising in this publication including insert or supplements Doos not constitute endorse ment by the department of defense or the stars and stripes of the products or services advertised. No accountability the Bobbitt and the Menendez cases Are two More examples of How we have abandoned the Basic principle that one should be held accountable for his her actions. When an individual can murder or mutilate another and not be held account Able i feel saddened for the plight of society. Drug dealers and organized criminals Are Given reduced sentences or exempted from prosecution by becoming an informer. Government officials plead ignorance give an apology and Promise hot to do it again. Or course you can claim Tempo Rary insanity. If temporary insanity was not admissible in court there would be fewer crazy people in the United states. Society the Media and the american Legal system continue to condone or make excuses for criminal actions allow ing offenders to go unpunished. We Don t need stricter Laws we need less constraints on How to enforce the present Laws and More Freedom imposing them. Staff sgt. Mark a. Perry Ramstein a Germany til Fly away lessons i disagree with a recent writer s assess ment of the television show i la Fly away. Yes it shows an ugly part of american history but it s important that people know our history in order to Correct past mistakes. The show paints the picture that Southern Whites were very prejudiced. Many still hold this senseless illogical attitude. It shows in my opinion that Blacks struggled to gain their rights As citizens. The Black actors on / Fly away portray intelligent people with the same feelings and desires As anyone else of any color. It is dangerous to Bury the ugly part of history. I find it sad that there Are report edly Many thousands of Young germans and japanese today who have no idea what their countries did to the world Dur ing the great wars. Philip Smith  Germany ". Marksmanship contest the focus article on the Nurnberg High school Rifle team feb. 2 was great. With hundreds of articles printed which publicize the use of guns for violence it s about time equal time is Given to the non violent sporting uses of fire runs. Sgt. Bruce Andrews should be appropriately com mended for Fielding a championship team in a legitimate sport which does not get enough publicity. One item in the article which caught my attention was the . Army Europe sponsored championships for the High school teams. If the army is sponsoring High school Rifle championships then Why Aren t Usa eur combat marksmanship competitions conducted1 annually to determine which Usa eur unit has the Best Rifle pistol and machine gun teams army regulation 350-6 directs the conduct of a competitive marksmanship program. Having an annual Competition will in crease command emphasis and Soldier in Terest in marksmanship training the basis of one of the most important soldiering skills. Usa eur will be the beneficiary of an an Nual Competition. The resulting enhance ment of marksmanship abilities of All sol Diers involved will be More beneficial to any unit deployed to a combat or hazardous duty zone than ail the Man hours spent training for the annual Nijm Egen Road March. Sgt. 1st class Daniel r. Saito Kitzinger Germany " sour notes on Anthem i think this National Anthem thing is getting Way out of hand. It seems that our National song has turned into a stepping Stone for any Given Singer s career. Call me patriotic but i believe that the National Anthem is a simple song that relays our patriotism respect to the Flag and spirit of America. I have seen this song massacred Over the last few years by such names As Rose Anne Barr Whitney Houston and More recently Natalie Cole. In the latter Case Natalie Cole super bowl xxviii what i heard was not even the Correct song nor did it even resemble the National an them. What i heard was a very Well done patriotic song but it was not the Correct song for the occasion. I understand artistic Freedom and such but i just cannot accept this Degra Dation of my song. If anybody is wondering Why the Dallas cowboys played so much better in the second half of the super bowl i can Tell you what the head coach Jimmy John son did in the locker room at halftime. He probably stood up and Sang the National Anthem to let his team know that the game had started. Up to that Point no one had heard it. Pallas then knew that it was time to play football. Staff sgt. Dwayne Dobbs Rhein Mai Nab Germany editor s note we encourage our readers especially those who have never submitted a letter to write Tous. Letters expressing readers viewpoints or opinions Are published daily on this Page. Al letters must be signed and in clude address and Telephone number preference is Given to Shorter letters so that More can be published in a timely manner. We Reserve the right to edit letters for clarity length and taste. Send to let ters to the editor the stars and stripes unit 29480, Apoate 09211. Commentary there s Noth i no fishy a bout this n  la . By Elaine Viets Rupp Mertz had some Good news. Newspapers Are full of bad stuff he said. My Story proves there Are still Good people around. You just have to know where to find  i braced myself. I was afraid Rupp s Story was going to be uplifting. He says it s True. So does his Friend. Rupp who lives in the St. Louis suburbs has a Friend who is 75 years old and lives Way out of the City. I la Call the Friend Jack. Jack liked to fish the Missouri River. He s been fishing that River most of his life Rupp said. But at 75, the old Fisherman was get Ting forgetful. Jack decided he d better forget going out in his boat. He was afraid he d have an Accident. My Friend decided he d better sell his boat and Call it quits Rupp said. He spent most of the Day at the place where he stored it cleaning up the boat to take Home. He hitched the trailer to his car and forgot to Latch the Ball properly. Or maybe the Latch was t working and he did t know it. Then he drove up Man Chester Road,.which is a Deathtrap any time and turned into the subdivision near his  that s where Jack had his boat Accident. On dry land. The Latch gave Way. The boat got Loose and ran Over a tree in a Man s Yard. The tree was  Jack bagged an 8-foot Cedar tree. The boat knocked it right out of the ground. There was no damage to Jack s boat. Jack Felt bad Rupp said. He knew the tree owner had every right to be angry. People Call in lawyers for a lot less. Jack rang the Doorbell and braced himself. The Best he could expect was harsh words. A Man came to the door. Jack told him what happened and apologized. The Man was t angry. He was t even upset. He said i never did like that tree anyway. Don t worry about  Jack was sure the Man was so Nice be cause he did t realize what happened. In the morning in Daylight when he saw his tree was toothpicks he d have a lot More to say. Besides Jack owed the Guy a new tree. He also had to Clear away the old one. The next morning Jack went Back to the Man s House. The wrecked tree was gone. Someone had removed the 8-foot Cedar. Jack rang the Doorbell and asked the Man what happened. I Cut up the tree and hauled it to the dump the Man said. What kind of tree do you want me to have replanted in its place asked Jack. I be already taken care of that the Guy said. Why Don t you go Back Home you worry too much. That s it Rupp said. That s my Story. Was t he a Nice Guy he was Rupp. You know what s Nice about this Nice Guy he s a lot nicer than i would have been. C St. Louis Post dispatch houj5vbk, i am hey. That s Shi zip ballistic body Armor Hap weapons at the motel., no Kipping jus title it70s&th& . Reporting nolo&&5. The Protection specialists