Sounding off: Different perspective on Afghanistan

Recent commentaries and letters have tried to place blame on what’s happening in Afghanistan on the current or past presidents, or even the military. Perhaps a different perspective is in order.

Afghanistan is not so much a nation as it is mostly tribal, tribes trying to rule their own regions. This was not unlike when a young country with 13 separate colonies tried to unite to fight a common enemy, and unite again to form a new government. Simply put, it was miraculous that the United States of America was able to do both.

It’s time that people realize that trying to force a country to become democratic either by armed intervention or by political influence is a waste of time and resources.

Americans have spilled their own blood to make America. If the people of other countries want a democracy, they need to fight for it themselves. Let them give up their own lives for their country. It is way more meaningful when true countrymen fight and die for their country rather than having foreign soldiers try to do it for them.

Richard Patton, Franklin Township, Beaver County

Our leaders are trying to protect us

Concerning health, safety and well-being, many people believe it’s their right to choose what’s best for them and their families, and do not want to be mandated regarding masks and vaccines. How would they have reacted at the time of World War II? When air raid warning signals sounded, would they have refused to turn off outside lights or close their blackout curtains? Would they be sure no bombs would be dropped on their house, but if one did, only their house be damaged? Might they wonder who those air wardens think they are, patrolling with shielded flashlights to see why houses aren’t dark? (My dad was a volunteer warden.)

I haven’t done research on this part of our history, but I was a preteen living in Allegheny County when the war began. Lying in bed and hearing a plane overhead was frightening to me.

Devastation and death from an air raid was an actual possibility then, as is true of covid-19 today. In the 1940s we were thankful to be told what to do. We did not feel dictated to, but we felt we were being protected from the predictable actions of a proven dictator.

Marilyn Sharrow, Brackenridge

Racism, then and now

Recently I received an advertisement from a local church hosting a presentation denouncing critical race theory (CRT) and the hiring of an equity director for the Gateway School District. The speaker, Joseph L. Green, an African American Missionary Baptist minister, is an opponent of CRT. In my opinion, Green’s declamation was a minstrel show that pandered to whites’ racism to make some whites feel comfortable and to entertain them with racial suppression. A school board member’s invitation to Green to attend the school board’s meeting signified the tendentious agenda.

However, the Aug. 17 board meeting triggered a HTR (historical trauma response) similar to PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder). The emotional outbursts, anger and facial hate exhibited by attendees resembled my early teen years of civil rights protests in my hometown of Macon, Ga., and my debut as Florida State University’s first African American football player. The chants of white hierarchy were resounding in this “deja vu” moment. The fears at that time were the integration of white spaces and privileges. Today, it is the fear of integrating truth and compassion into a space of selfishness and entitlement. Unfortunately, white children’s welfare and security are still being leveraged to give credence in preserving status quo.

The interests of Gateway School District students are being jeopardized by board members straddling the fence of principles and power. My summation is they are trying to put 5 gallons of “crap” into a 3-gallon bucket.

J.T. Thomas, Monroeville

Gateway board’s mask mandate takes away freedoms

As a lifelong member of the Monroeville community, graduate of Gateway High School, parent of three Gateway graduates and grandmother of four potential Gateway graduates, I want to inform our community of the disturbing issue regarding the Gateway school board mask mandate for K-12 students.

During the Aug. 17 school board meeting, numerous parents and members of the community impressively and passionately advocated on behalf of the children by requesting the school directors vote “no” on mandating masks for the 2021-22 school year. The speakers used data, science and common sense in making their cases. One was an ICU critical care nurse. One was a teacher. One was a coach. The overwhelming message was, parents should be the ones to decide if their children should wear masks for nine hours a day. Nearly every person in the audience concurred. My body, my choice. Right?

Wrong! The pleas of the parents fell upon deaf ears in a vote of 5-4 (“Gateway students, staff to start school year with mask requirement”). In my opinion, Susan DeLaney, Scott Gallagher, Brian Goppman, Richard McIntyre and Robin Mungo based their votes on politics, not on science or what is best for the children. They voted to strip Gateway students and parents of their God-given rights and freedoms.

Remember these five names on Election Day in November. They masked our children, thus prohibiting their education.

Christi Orlando Marchi, Monroeville

Requiring vaccine is unconstitutional

In response to the article “Nursing shortage spawns hefty sign-on bonuses in Western Pa.”: Do you think just maybe employers should stop requiring the jab as a requirement for employment? These nurses worked through the height of this pandemic and were hailed as heroes. Now their personal freedoms and choices are being taken away along with their jobs if they don’t “conform.” It is unconstitutional.

I wouldn’t work for these employers no matter what their incentives. Lives, freedoms and personal choices are more important than money.

It’s not just nurses that are affected. It could be every line of work — doctors, police officers, teachers … . Be careful what you force on your employees. Not everyone is willing to sell their soul or risk their life for a political agenda.

No one should be forced into getting the jab.

Trudy Olsen, East Huntingdon

Lots of blame for Afghanistan

It is really tricky trying to assign blame for the Afghanistan debacle.

The current mess actually began in late 1979, when Brezhnev of the USSR invaded the country to prop up a puppet Marxist regime.

In the ensuing years the U.S., principally under the Cold War policies of the Reagan regime, armed and supported anyone opposing the Russians, particularly bloodthirsty religious fanatics who became the Taliban and al-Qaida. In the end, Russia withdrew, the Soviet Union collapsed, and Afghan rule fell to those fanatics, now well equipped and with no goal but domination through terror.

The U.S. paid the price on 9/11. So the Bush/Cheney regime invaded, ostensibly to capture Osama bin Laden. They failed. The Taliban remained powerful, because we more or less forgot about them in our haste to invade Iraq on phony WMD “intelligence.” So we never left, although our goal was never clearly defined.

So who to blame? Brezhnev, Carter, Reagan, Clinton, Bush, Obama, Trump or Biden? All are responsible, but we can expect a rush to blame the current president. Like Charlie Brown making the last out in a game that was already 10-0 against us, it will be said that he lost the game.

Going forward, our policy should include finding out which of our “allies” have been supplying these terrorists with arms, which they have a surfeit of. They get their equipment from somewhere, and we have always been reluctant to press that point.

Howard Schmitt, Green Tree

Biden administration is destructive

It must be obvious to all non-cognitive challenged citizens that the Biden administration is the most incompetent and destructive in our history. The policy choices made on serious matters have been horrendous. A few examples among many: the southern border debacle, destroying energy independence, economic policies that retard growth, the race calamity, crime, massive spending and inflation.

And now our catastrophic Afghan withdrawal. President Biden’s decision permitting the Taliban to be in charge is unconscionable, perhaps even treasonous. This weakness has and will result in preventable American deaths and will have negative ramifications for America’s foreign policy far into the future. Our allies will no longer trust us and our enemies will use this failure to undermine America throughout the third world.

Our genius founders designed a government with checks and balances to guard against implementing disastrous policies. Unfortunately, our Congress and especially the Democratic component fail to exercise leadership to stop or modify Biden’s destructive policies. Where are you, Sen. Bob Casey and Rep. Conor Lamb?

America is at risk, driven by the national political class and their elite constituents. The task of saving America rests with the typical citizen. The avenues are grassroots participation and voting to keep the Biden/Harris/Schumer/Pelosi types out of office.

Raymond Smith, Hampton