European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 17, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 14letters to the editor sunday july 17,1994thesaadripes. European edition col Steven s. Hoffman sap a. Cam marhofer publish of. A Bernard a. Zov1stosk1. Editor news and editorial Deborah Absher news editor. Bui Walker european editor Bob Wicker sports editor George mines City editor to write us unit29480 Apo a 09211. Or Postrach 11 14 37. A. -64279 Darmstadt Quot germ any news Tel fax 06155-601416 to callus drat 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, Hamb str. .104, 6&126 Hoid Viborg car 419, Box 1319,. Apr a 09102 lol Phona Dan 370-7010 or civilian 06221-23421 Tel fax 06221-27239.  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The appearance do advertising in this publication including inserts or supplements does rot cons Tuie endorsement by the department of defense or the stars and Smipes of the products or services advertised a noxious arrogance the writer of the a be our guest article a quit whining women you can to have it All a makes some extremely cogent remarks. 1 agree women should not be allowed to fill positions for which they Are not qualified. They should be mentally and physically Able to perform All aspects of the Job. No excuses no exceptions. I do find cause however with her unkind Labelling of military women seeking opportunities in nontraditional roles As winners when what they want is Only the Chance to try. She says a a. There Are those of us who quite simply still enjoy being a woman. We arc comfortable with who we Are and what we  these words belie the belief that women seeking experiences outside the author a narrow definition of what those should be arc not Womert at All but deviates using the Guise of equal Opportunity to pcs Troy an american institution. She warns a Aback off babe i done to Trust you or your motive s a does she believe women incapable of embracing so Noble an idea As duty to country or sacrificing ones life for it As practice by men what compels her to Lump us All into a sinister and unscrupulous group whose Only reason for being appears to be the Complete and utter destruction of our male associates i have always performed my duties As a member of the team in concert with a leaders care for the Mission and the soldiers supporting it a a All my soldiers. The writer insults military women with her outdated chauvinistic views. I respect the writers choices and think her no less a person for having made them but until the writer has a lived the life Quot of a woman working in this system which routinely denies us Access to the training she assumes we arc provided she lacks credibility to give any insight on what we have and arc experiencing. A the writers stilted ideas of what the military and those functioning in it Are about Breeds a dangerous kind of arrogance that allows pervasive inequities and prejudices to thrive. This a because that a just the Way it is attitude and unthinking acceptance of the status quo is the same mentality that gives Teeth to statements like a fall men Are immoral a or a she deserved to get  the writers noxious blend of arrogance and ignorance is the hurtful kind that feeds the flames of intolerance and obscures the vision seeking truth. A maj. Gerry Evans Vai Hingen Germany done to hamper Mission id like to thank and commend you for your guest editorial on women in the combat specialities no doubt your writers opinions will raise a lot of heated indignation but there can be no question that no special interest group has the right to hamper the Mission or safety of our armed forces. I refer specifically to homosexuals women so a rights groups aids activists and any others who place their own Agenda above the Security of the United states and United nations and attempt to use the military As a stage for their demonstrations. Done to these people realize that their own safety depends on our abilities is our glorious undefeated military now to degenerate into a testing ground for social experimentation give us humanitarian missions give us guard Post duties but let us protect and defend our beloved country rather than weakening us for the Sake 6f some splinter group whose desires Are evident. . Boswell Schweinfurt Germany vies a racketeering after All these years of Reading the letters Page a personal experience has finally prompted me to write As Well. My question is a Why does the military condone and support an organization whose sole purpose appears to be profiting from a captive military clientele the organization i am referring to is none other than the army and air Force Exchange service. Recently i called my local cafes Auto store and asked for a Price quote on some automotive parts. I was told that for a set of head gaskets intake manifold gaskets and exhaust manifold gaskets the total Price was $138. Granted it has been a few years since in be done this Type of automotive repairs but the Price seemed just a bit too Steep for me. A a a i decided to Call a stateside automotive retail store near my fathers House and i received a quote of $48 for the exact same car parts. That leaves cafes with a $90 or a 280 percent markup. What is the additional Money for shipping and handling it Cost my father s4 to mail the parts to me which incidentally Only took. Days to reach me As opposed to aah est 10 Days to two weeks it seems to me that cafes is taking advantage of a eap live military clientele overseas since there Are no other . Car part retailers around. In some countries a 200 percent markup on a retail item could be considered racketeering. Why does the de. Apartment of defense allow its military members and dependents to be fleeced like this i am sure that cafes prices arc within whatever. Legal guidelines arc applicable but for some reason it still seems unfair. I w ill continue to Purchase motor Oil and such automotive supplies from cafes since i done to have much Choice but you can bet that for any cat parts i will invest the $4 phone Call Back stateside and save myself a bundle in the Long run. A staff sol. Richard Kaminski Augsburg Germany move Ilie Maga incas i have been Reading the varying opinions on whether pornography should stay or go when the army and air Force Exchange service takes control of the stars and stripes bookstores. May i make a suggestion leave the magazines on the shelf. Just move the shelf behind the checkout counter. In my opinion two things should happen a it should suffice those who do not want to Sec it and Cut Down on adult a a browsers and the curious Young eyes. A it will show who is the serious Reader because he she will have to ask for it. The cashier then bags the selection and the customer leaves. Pro porno people Are Happy they have Access to their Reading material. Anti porno people Are Happy because neither they nor their loved ones have to see it. Who knows it might Cut Down on the sales of those magazines saving cafes Money which it could use for other purposes. Compromise. Its just a suggestion . Wolfenburger Augsburg Germany a self appointed censors one of my very affable German neighbors dropped by again this sunday morning and we enjoyed our Friendly private chuckle. He a a Jehovah a witness and along with a few other members of his congregation has accepted a mandate from god to educate me in his religion a fundamentalist View which 1 done to share. With All the religious wars that arc raging All Over our enlightened planet he and i Are a Little tickled with our innocent clerical nonsense. You see he did not decide to influence my thinking god told him to do it. How can i be angry with that position even if 1 disagree with it so we share our Little bad Inage leaving me with my sicilian catholicism and him with his Bible no hard feelings and 1 think we both enjoy the regular encounters. Not so w Ith what i have been Reading in your letters column lately. Voltaire once said a it is Only a Short step from saying a believe what 1 believe or god will punish you a to a believe what i believe or i will kill you a a it is at the heart of vile struggles All Over the world just now and it stems from a rigid a holier than thou Quot attitude of a moral minority which wants to set standards not just for themselves or their families but for everyone a no thank you  or Madam. It is not a question of whether or not i read what you Call a a pornographic material in the stars and stripes bookstores it is Only that i do not want you to make that decision for me. My German Friend and  our Little private joke. But you serving Here at this outpost of democracy my self appointed censor. I am ashamed of you and what is worse you scare me. A Joseph Elliott Stuttgart German military rudeness i certainly could sympathize with the person writing about the rude military policemen and policewomen. Air Force Security police Are no better i am afraid. On several occasions i have had guests arrive at my Home on base upset and almost in tears because of the Way they have been treated while signing on base. I always Call the visitor Center in Advance to give them my visitors name. However by the time my visitor arrives they be usually lost the information. If they Are Nice they will then Call me to inform me i have a visitor. Several times however they have berated my guest for not having their sponsor with them. On one occasion the officer refused to Call me so my visitor had to go All the Way Home to Call me and Tell me they  let her on base. I met her at the Gate to personally sign her on and when i informed the police officer that i had called earlier i was greeted with a torrent of abuse. My visitor then told him he was being very rude and received a flood of abuse. I wrote to the Security police commander about this incident Only to be told that the officer was a police officer and therefore Correct in All his actions a the implication being that i was just a stupid dependent and How dare i complain. Americans Are guests in this country. It is bad enough that Security police abuse family members they certainly  have treated my husband a major this Way but they have absolutely no right to abuse citizens their hosts of this country. 1 a Karen Nusbaum Raf Alconbury England snoring the Flag being a retired British Navy Man i never feel Safe in these foreign parts unless i can clearly see a British Union Flag or the stars and stripes flying a close up at some nearby Flagstaff. Earlier this year i was surprised to see that the flagpole at Coleman Barracks in Mannheim Germany was bereft of its Flag one afternoon. Dashing in to the Deputy inspector general s office i fearfully inquired As to Why a old glory was not flying at its rightful place above Coleman Barracks. Has the Post been deactivated was i out of a Job perhaps a ooh no a replied the Sweet Young thing behind the desk. A we took it Down because rain is forecast and As we do not have any storm flags we did not want to get it  1 kid you not a James Stuart Kafer Tal Germany editors note we encourage our readers a especially those who have never submitted a letter a to write to us. Letters expressing readers viewpoints or opinions Are published Dally on this Page. All letters must be signed and include 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 letters to the editor the star3 and stripes unit 29480, Apo a 09211. Or fax country code 49 06155-601463, Dan 348-8463