Correspondence

0 Comments | Insight on the News, August 7, 2000

Official Criteria for Combat Medals Need Amending

As an avid reader of Insight, besides being a retired Marine Corps officer, I was extremely interested in Kelly Patricia O'Meara's article "Military Confuses Heroism with Duty" [July 24].

Those of us who served in the military (and, most especially, in public affairs) during and after the so-called "Grenada invasion" in October 1983 will recall the enormous number of medals awarded to individuals who took part in operations on that small island. The Army, as I remember, was the service most criticized, although other services seemed to go slightly overboard as well. It was seen as a bit of a "PR disaster."

I only want to point out that we have been struggling with this problem and dilemma for some time, with no obvious solution in sight. Separating the "combat" awards from those that are "meritorious" would provide a form of fix. However, the best course of action would be to modify the language contained in the official criteria so that there remains very little doubt as to what constitutes "bravery in the face of the enemy above and beyond the call of duty."

Maj. Red C. Lash, Ret. U.S. Marine Corps Springfield, Va.

Voracious, Overpopulated Deer May Make Tasty Meals

A federal/state program has been established to finance the planting of trees on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay and along 2,010 miles of rivers and streams in Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania. Water runoff from the barren banks and shores causes erosion along the bay and pollutes the rivers and streams with cattle manure. The trees would reduce erosion and pollution and furnish wildlife habitat. Therein lies the problem!

Overpopulated white-tail deer would replace the cattle that currently tread along the banks of the streams, and the deer would eat the leaves of the newly planted trees.

Unless the deer' population drastically is reduced, the thousands of newly planted trees would be killed by the hungry deer ["Hunting a Solution to the Bambi Boom," July 3].

Prison-owned farms have been created in the tri-state area which feed 100,000 prison inmates. Prisoners gain job experience working on the farms and in poultry-processing plants and preparing food. The experience gives the prisoners something to build on when they are released, along with a little nest egg from a nominal salary.

To solve the problem facing the new tree-planting program, the overpopulated, destructive deer could be slaughtered, butchered and used to make Brunswick stew or other delectable meals by the prison inmates. The venison also could be given to the poor. I have a superior venison recipe I would be happy to share.

Lt. Col. Edwin R. Riley, Ret. Williamsburg, Va.

Citizens and Media Support White House Corruption

You know, I thought the Whitewater scandal would sink them. I thought their acceptance of illegal campaign cash from China would sink them. I thought impeachment for perjury and obstruction of justice would -- at long last -- sink them.

These new charges that U.S. trade missions were being apportioned for political donations to the Clinton/Gore campaigns and the Democratic National Committee by high-level Commerce Department officials ["New Explosive Charges," exclusive to Insight Online, July 12] indeed may be explosive, but so long as the American citizenry continues to sleep through the corruption and the establishment press remains firmly in the Clinton/Gore corner, these SOBs will skate right over this, too.

Peter Keefe Falls Church, Va.

Write: Insight Correspondence Editor, 3600 New York Ave. N.E., Washington, DC 20002. E-mail: Insight@wt.infi.net Fax: (202) 529-2484. Please include an address and daytime phone number. Letters may be edited for space.