Love-Hate Mail

Profiles in courage
With all due respect to Mr. Grafelman and Mr. Keisling (Love/Hate Mail, March 19), I am of the opinion that at least certain military deserters exhibit far more courage than those who serve blindly and without question. To leave family and friends behind in protest of military actions based upon bogus premises (e.g. Gulf of Tonkin/Vietnam; weapons of mass destruction/Iraq) is far from an act of cowardice. The very lack of such demonstrations of moral conviction from our purported leaders is that which propels us into these senseless and murderous conflicts ab initio.

Mark B. Leedom
Nashville

Price of 'freedom'
Thank you for the wonderful article on the war, the soldiers and their desperation ("U.S. military deserters once again flock to Canada. They picked the wrong country," March 12). Please do not let those people who wrote negative comments discourage you from writing again (Love/Hate Mail, March 19).

It is a very sad state of affairs in our country when people are so brainwashed that they can't see the situation in Iraq for what it is: a flagrant violation of human rights, human dignity and international law. Our country invaded a sovereign nation on lies and dishonest motives; as a result, hundreds of thousands of people there are dead, their country destroyed, the lives of the ones who survived, ruined.

Our soldiers volunteered brainwashed and duped, only to come back maimed, scarred forever or dead. They have the right to defend themselves.

The Iraqi people did not do anything to us, and our soldiers deserve better. I will not even mention the staggering amount of money spent...for what?

Our "freedoms and rights" are not based on lies, cruelty, murder, disrespect of other nations' laws or, even worse, our total disregard for human life that is not "American." That is not our way.

All those people who wrote missed those important truths. If they sincerely think that we are defending our "freedoms," we are all up to our necks in trouble.

We are free only in the measure that we can respect the freedom and dignity of others.

Grandma Rocker

Cigs and deception
I understand smoking is not good for your health ("Come April 1, cigarettes will cost as much as $7.50 a pack," March 17). But this is insane.

Instead of blaming the companies that are responsible for the ingredients they have added to cigarettes, which makes it harder to stop, the State of Tennessee is punishing the smokers. They continue to allow these companies to slide by. When the lawsuit was won, there should have been free rehab centers opened to help people who would like to stop.

Next will be that food you love so much, that has been pumped with ingredients that you are now addicted too. The government is allowing that too.

When cigarettes are outlawed, and the cancer deaths keep going up, people will see they have been deceived by the government for years!

Darlene
Nashville

No taxing me
I have just decided to quit smoking. Let them bleed someone else dry and then maybe everyone will say enough is enough. Look out property owners, business owners, car owners, food buyers and everyone else. You're next.

Richard
Lewisburg

Poor smokers
People are going to keep on smoking. They are just going to stop paying bills or let their kids go more hungry than they are. The only enjoyment the poor had for years was their smoking, and we are going to always have the poor with us.

The Virginian
Lewisburg

The governor's fault
Yes, since the federal government is adding all these federal taxes on cigarettes, the state of Tennessee can take off what Gov. Bredesen put on. All smokers in Tennessee should call the governor's office and demand that the taxes be taken off. If not, watch an influx of smokers going to Kentucky, Georgia or Alabama to get their cigarettes cheaper. As always, it's the governor's fault.

Michael Hester
La Vergne

Why not booze?
This sounds illegal to me. I agree that we should be charging alcohol too. You are going to be charged as much as $75 for a carton of cigarettes. Try charging that for a six-pack!

Booze kills more than smoking. You can get diseased from too much alcohol, plus you drink and drive and kill someone. More rape and other crime is caused by drinking, but that's OK because it's accepted!

I pay my taxes just as much as a nonsmoker, and I should not be singled out because I choose to smoke. I will take my money out of state and buy them so you will still lose!

Diane Chadwick
Centerville

The double standard
Our government, hard at work again? Can we tax alcohol please?

Smoking doesn't alter my senses, causing me to crash into another vehicle. I will simply go out of state to purchase cigarettes now. How sad that the hardcore nonsmokers have the means to make these taxes happen. No doubt they sign these new taxes into law, and follow up by celebrating at a local bar. That's messed up.

Teresa
Nashville