Letters to the editor — Feb. 28

• Published February 28, 2008

The police department is one of the finest in the state, from Chief Dusty Pierpoint on down. Our fire and medic personnel are some of the finest as well.

Obviously there are many other individuals and departments that make up this wonderful city, and they need to be thanked.

As a pastor in this community, it is an honor and privilege to serve alongside the great men and women who make the city of Lacey what it is — a city with a very bright future!

Steve Bradley, Lacey

United States must have global view

Planet Earth has a pretty big election coming up this fall. A serious issue is going to be either worked on or ignored. The war we’re at shouldn’t balance on our disagreement with the president, it should balance on how circumstances will affect the globe.

Leaving Iraq is something we’re all anxious for, but without an infrastructure and a way to defend itself, it will end up in a pretty hazardous state. I’m not sure if parallels between Iraq and Afghanistan are equivalent, but if we’d leave Iraq, then they will compare pretty well.

When the Soviet Union collapsed, they left Afghanistan after several years of war and those who took over are known as the Taliban. It’s alarming to see what might happen to Iraq when Barack Obama becomes president. Then where’s the solution to terrorism?

Don’t get me wrong, fighting is necessary for the short term, but education may be a little effective as well. I’m no expert in Middle East culture, but values of human life need to be advocated over there. That’s the only way of fighting jihad in the long run. Otherwise Islamic extremists will continue to exploit more and more people.

Children need to be able to see the violence going on and not accept it as commonplace in their society. As a nation responsible for holding our finger in the dam, we need to concentrate on how our decisions affect the world, not just satisfying our bitterness toward the president.

Derek Devine, Lacey

Blame the shooters for campus deaths