An abuse of power is not an exercise of liberty
Re: “An oversight in the great chicken debate,” From Readers, Aug. 1
Reader Jason Ramage demonstrates oversight of his own when he states Mayor Menino, et al., have the right to express their opinions the same way as Dan Cathy; he fails to note that Mayor Menino, et al., state their opinion under the cloak of authority, thereby attaching force to act upon that opinion, Constitution be damned. And if Jason doubts that there is a “war” against Christians in America, perhaps he can explain why Jews, Buddhists and especially Muslims are held to a different (read “Hands off”) standard.
Ben Arnold
Centreville
One step too far in opposing the draft
Re: “Restore the draft? What Would Milton Friedman Do?” July 31
While Art Carden is quite right to oppose reinstating the draft, his characterization of conscription as “a form of slavery” goes too far.
Carden’s equation wrongly assumes that slavery means nothing more than forced labor. In truth, there is much more to it than that. Unlike military conscripts, slaves are unpaid and are owned as the property of their enslavers. They are denied citizenship and all of the legal rights and privileges that come with it. Draftees can presumably look forward to becoming civilians again when peace returns; slaves remain in chains until their masters deign to free them.
It is demeaning to equate the travails of draftees with the suffering of people who are denied their basic humanity. It is also bad politics, given this country’s history and the tortured race relations that slavery bequeathed it. Believers in limited government have enough difficulty rebutting facile accusations of racism without unwittingly trivializing one of America’s original sins. We don’t need to equate conscription with slavery in order to defeat it — so let’s not.
Akil Alleyne
Arlington
Dear Mr. Defense Secretary
To Leon Panetta: So you are working on your budget. I see that you take a plane trip to your orchard in California to tend to your walnuts every other week. That costs the taxpayers $20,000 each way. This comes out to $1,040,000 annually so that you can tend to your nuts. Yes, I realize that there is a regulation that all Cabinet members must be in secure communications with POTUS at all times, but that does not mean that you have to abuse it. These are personal vacations. If it were a military member, they would have to take A/L, so even they could only do it 15 times a year, at their own cost. I also realize the regulation was put into place by the previous administration. This still does not excuse your abuse of the system.
Oh, and that military member, his annual salary is $30,000/year (E-5 with between four and six years). He gets deployed for 9 months and doesn’t get to see his family, celebrate Christmas and sometimes even witness the birth of his children. Oh, and he quite often doesn’t get weekends off either, and if he did, what does he get to do? Either hire someone to tend your orchard or sell it. Act like a leader, not a beltway bandit.
And then: Breathalyzers on all U.S. Navy ships? You really have to be kidding me.
I’ll finish with what is a most egregious abuse and waste of the military budget. During the recent RIMPAC exercise, the ships tested a hybrid biofuel. All well and good, but for it to be funded from the military budget is wrong. Using the Navy to conduct the tests, I’m all for it, but when we have to pay $26/gallon for an experimental fuel when the cost for conventional fuel is $3.50/gallon, well that is just plain unconscionable.
I pray for my family, my Navy and my country.
Douglas J. Barnard
Waldorf
