European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 15, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 20 stars and stripes sunday april 15 2007 Thomas l Kelsch publisher Richard Braun general manager Europe it col Stephen Oconnor commander news and editorial Robb Grindstaff Doug Clawson executive editor managing editor Europe Sara Amrhein Europe Bureau chief Joseph Giordono Mideast Bureau chief Mami Mcentee assistant Bureau chief Washington do assistant managing editors Mary Bender news Sean Moores sports Brian Bowers features Christopher six Patrick Dickson news editor 3oe Gromelski web editor addresses us mail unit 29480 Apo a 09211 International Hal Postrach 1330 64345 Griesheim Germany fax Dan 3498416 Civ 0 email news letters Central office 529 14th Street new suite 350 Washington do 200451301 phone Dan 3127630900 or Civ 202 7610900 fax 7610890 editorial director 529 14th sin suite 350 Washington do 200451301 phone Dan 3127630945 or Civ 202 7610945 How to Cal us editor Dan 3498264 Civ 0 6155601264 letters Dan 3498237 Civ 0 sports Dan 3498225 Civ 0 circulation Dan 3498437 Civ 0 advertising Dan Civ 0 news bureaus Germany country code Bamberg Mark Stclair 279th bs8 unit 27535 Box 23541 Apo a 091397535 Tei Dan 4697957 Tel Civ 0 or fax Dan 4698007 or Civ 0 email Baum older John Vandiver 222nd bib Apo a 09034 Tei Dan 4896585 or Civ 0 email Darmstadt Kevin Dougherty Geoff Ziezulewicz and Matt Millham unit 29480 Apo a 09211 Tel Dan 3498406 3498290 and 3498326 or Civ 0 6155601406 0 6155601290 and 0 6155601326 email Grafe Wohr Seth Robson Grafe Wohr training area building 531 room 115 Tel Dan 4756087 Tel Civ 09641836087 email Nancy Montgomery room 117 Rome str 104 69115 Heidelberg Tel Dan 3707010 or Civ 0 fax Civ 0 email Scott Schonauer and Steve Mraz Apo a ofcf3717 Tel Dan 4896585 Tel Civ 0 or 0 fax Civ 0 6313709219 email Stuttgart Charlie Coon car 423 Box 465 Apo a 091070465 Tel Dan 4212088 Tel Civ 07117292088 email Dan 3498237 or Civ 49 0 6155601237 email Italy Kent Harris Tel Dan 314 6327652 or Civ 39 0434 30 7652 second line Dan 314 6324222 or Civ 39 0434304222 email Naples Sandra Jontz pc 817 Box 56 Fpo a Tel Dan 6265157 and 6265158 or Civ 081 5685157 and 5685158 fax Dan 6265150 or Civ 081 5685150 email Middle East Bureau chief Joseph Giordono unit 29480 Box 77 Apo a 09211 Tel Dan 314 3498220 commercial reporters Monte Morin us 3143498220 email Zeke Minaya Dan 3143498220 Ceil 1726259446 email Rota pc 819 Box 1 Fpo a 09645 Tel Dan 3498237 or Civ United kingdom Raf Mildenhall Ben Murray Bryan Mitchell and Sean Kimmons building 464 dec Sauk Raf Mildenhall Apo a 09459 Tel Dan 2384868 2386082 and 2386083 or Civ 0 0 and 0 fax Civ 0 718013 email Washington do Bureau editor Patrick Dickson 529 14th Street new suite 350 Washington do 2qq451301 Tel 202 7610859 email Lisa Burgess Tel Civ 703 5921875 Jeff Schogol Tel Civ 703 6921925 and Leo Shane Tei Civ 202 7611183 529 14th Street new suite 350 Washington do 200451301 fax Civ 202 7610890 email printed in Germany by hum yet As  deutschland printed in Italy by edit Rice Tel Estampa stars and stripes uses 017252 is published daily except Christmas and new years for 50 cents Daify and sunday by the stars and stripes Central office 52914th St new suite 350 Washington do 200451301 periodicals postage paid at Washington do postmaster Send address changes to european stars and stripes unit 29480 Apo a 09211 ombudsman David Mazzarella the stars and stripes ombudsman protects the free flow of news and information reporting any attempts by the military or other authorities to undermine the newspapers Independence the ombudsman also responds to concerns and questions from readers and monitors coverage for fairness accuracy timeliness and balance the ombudsman welcomes comments from readers and can be contacted by email at or by phone at 2027610945 european and Pacific stars and stripes 2007 stars and stripes web site wwwstr1pescqm letters to the editor captives actions disgusting i have completed two Tours in Iraq and always had tremendous respect for our British allies that s Why i was disgusted these past two weeks watching British captives apologizing confessing their crimes and making Oral and written statements Dis Loyal to their own country the sailors and marines publicly stated that they were pressured and Felt their lives were in danger and i believe them the problem is these we rent the wooden or Monotone statements that captives have been forced to do in front of to Cam eras in the past this was a relaxed group laughing smiling and writing let ters Home denouncing their own country without hardly even a spelling mistake to Tell us that it was coerced but the most sickening spectacle of All was just before release watching them practically falling Over themselves to thank iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for his generosity shaking his hand even joking with him then arriving at Heathrow Airport holding bags full of iranian gifts like a Bunch of tourists i would have thrown the gifts into the air plane trash bin the moment i was on Board at least one of the group kept a quiet dignity and refused to smile for the Cam eras didst the rest know what image this was giving to the world did they care does the Royal Navy have anything like the us code of conduct sea lord adm Jonathan band chief of staff of the Royal Navy said that they acted with considerable dignity and courage if so then i would hate to see what undignified behaviour would look like regardless i fear our situation in the Middle East has just greatly worsened much of the world now believes that westerners Are weak and will turn on their country at a moments notice the damage done is real and considerable capt John h Smith m Wiesbaden Germany Imus should be a no Factor this whole Don Imus and the Rutgers female basketball team thing offends me by a Trudeau Tell us what you think stars and stripes welcomes your comments on editorials and columns that Are published in the newspaper and values letters on topics of importance in the lives of our readers All letters must be signed and must include the writers address j or base and Telephone number please limit All letters to 300 words we Reserve the right to edit Fetters for length taste and clarity Send your letters to us mail stars and stripes unit 29480 Apo a 09211 International mail stars and stripes Postrach 1330 64345 Griesheim via fax country code 0 Dan 3498395 email on two Levels but first let me clarify something Don Imus does not offend me he has been making a very Comfort Able living by making exactly these same kinds of irresponsible and tasteless com ments for years this is what he does i expect no less i am offended As an american that i am part of a society that encourages embraces and even rewards this kind of be Havior the reason that people like Imus have such a Broad audience is because of our adolescent fascination with Shock jocks if not for that Imus would be just another Anonymous bitter old Man spout ing his nonsense on a lonely bar Stool in the Corner of his local drinking establish ment his sphere of influence would reach no further than the few unfortunate souls who were unlucky enough to be within earshot of him we have created an environment where this kind of be Havior makes you Rich so Why Are people now in an uproar i am also offended As an african Amer ican offended that the so called Afri can american leadership of the us has turned this thing into a circus with All the real and pressing social and civil problems in our there Are quite a few Why they chose to rally around a comment about the texture of someones hair puzzles me what really offends me is that no one seems to be outraged that Imus called a group of talented Young ladies hos on National Media where is the outrage for that this int an Issue of race if s about a tasteless comment period chief warrant officer 3 Kevin t Young Campari fjan Kuwait of semantics and such in reference to new testament verse clarifies letter april i find it rather farcical that a Soldier would equate Homo sexuality to killing and Call both immoral acts does the letter writer truly mean to say that soldiers Are by their profession immoral i did enjoy the twist in semantics that allows the writer to quote the Bible in say ing that homosexuals Are worthy of death but should not be killed is that be cause killing is immoral if that is the Case then by his own analogy the army would be a perfect place for homosexuals since it is by its purpose immoral there Are studies that indicate possible biological links to homosexuality one showed distinct differences in the size of the Anterior hypothalamus Between Gay and straight men and another showed a correlation Between the number of older Brothers and the incidence of homosexuality in the younger sibling this leads to the question of what will christians say if homosexuality were Ever proven to be a trait and not a behaviour How could they respond to homosexuals saying god made me this this argument does not even address the arrogance of imposing ones morality onto another other than his fervent be Lief what makes a christians concept of morality More valid than say a Buddhist s a hindus or a wiccan what if a homosexual followed a religion that said homosexuality is not immoral then whose religion Trumps whose i wont even touch the philosophical problems of an omniscient omnipotent god that condemns sins he allows to occur while de manding absolute obedience and yet is portrayed As kind and Loving i would like to close with if any one of you is without sin let him be the first to throw a Stone sgt 1st class James d Monroe Forward operating base Prosperity Iraq five six 5ev5n marriages on the 60 Sib tub 7hkbb froktrunnsr5 61uuani Mccain amp Gingrich have five visor cute amon6 them fou of them Ksay me5sy 1mvdlving Apu Lueky Iti eks still talking to f5ucw rapid Host or jamb5 fou Pez of focus on the family or vo3sonims just Rij Nung the numbers on th5 tialcanp1patss that private 7hat5 Bow Iffla Man and a woman and Atroth sumy Gusson Suhich party Orthz democratic the front Kun Meks for Wpm Gay mar s uses sunts farm values sometimes m moral Sjoman pivokc55 or irps Welss