MILITARY LABELS

‘Ex-Marine’ and ‘former Marine’ aren’t the same

Tim Johnson’s article datelined Mexico City, headlined “Latest trauma for ex-U.S. Marine: chained to bed in Mexican jail,” in the Dec. 7 Statesman was well-written. You may want to have him, and any other reporter, know the difference between a ex-Marine and a former Marine. An ex-Marine is a Marine that was discharged as a result of a court-martial for service under other than honorable conditions. Former Marines would be very disturbed being referred to as an ex-Marine. Also, most Marines consider themselves “once a Marine, always a Marine.”

Keep up the great work keeping our communities informed.

DENNY CRONER, (retired Navy master chief), Payette

BIG MEDIA

Fight consolidation

Despite the ever-increasing media consolidation that limits coverage of important issues, the FCC is again considering the wishes of big money and business; namely, it may relax the rules for media ownership. The sound bites you’ve heard, “efficiency” and higher dividends, mean “idea monopoly.”

Our media system is not serving democracy already. Right now, with enough money or clout, one can create some sound bites, and place it in every media form from billboards, magazines, TV, newspapers, movies, sports arenas, infomercials, coffee cups to buses, to mention a few.

Individually, though, we may not be aware that it’s one campaign, at the same time, all over the country (maybe the world), over and over. Rupert Murdoch wants the Chicago Tribune and the L.A. Times. He’s one of the greatest abusers and yellow journalists in recent history. Everyone gets some of his sound bites emblazoned on their brain, like it or not. Individuality is already jeopardized by mass media. Did you know that the Saudi royal family “invested” in ads for the 2012 election? Please. Don’t let big media close down the minds of America more than it already has. Go to www.billmoyers.com and fight back. Twenty-five days is all we have.

DOTTIE LOWE, Boise

COMICS

How about a vote?

I agree with the letters in the Sunday, Dec. 9, Statesman; the comics you have deleted should come back and the ones you have added are not good for the most part. Why not put it out for a vote?

ROBERT GOYDEN, Boise

Works of genius

“Tiger, tiger, burning bright in the forest of the night.” Quickly, now, you comics editor dudes, you have time to rescue one of your strips’ prize art works each week, drawn by illustrator Bud Blake, who has the skill to use brush and black ink to bring to life Tiger and his chums, Hugo and Punkin Head. Sorry that you had to be reminded by several of your readers that you came near to losing strips of genuine fun and imagination by dropping works of genius and adding artless newbies like Gil, an escapee from daytime children’s cartoons.

LONNIE L. WILLIS, Boise

Down-to-earth comics

I was going to ask what happened to Family Circus and Dennis the Menace. I used to so look forward to these every day and saw someone else asked the question, so I didn’t. Then I was totally dismayed to see the Dec. 3 paper with the new comic lineup and, personally, did not like any of the new ones. I read Vicki Gowler’s note to readers and decided I would add my two cents. I voted for almost all of the comics deleted. They were true, down-to-earth comics that put a smile on your face and were not techy. Hope enough people respond and this decision will be looked at again.

SUE GROSS, Mountain Home

Reconsider choices

We have been subscribing to the Idaho Statesman for over 20 years. Numerous changes have occurred, mainly I figured for financial reasons. You have continued to take away and add little in return.

David Jensen wrote it best in the Sunday Insight, Dec. 9 — who is choosing the comics and how old are they? I read your paper from front to back, not just the comics, but really, can they get any worse? Evidently you saved a lot of money not paying for Blondie, Better or Worse or Rose Is Rose, and the new comics must be free of charge, they are so worthless. Please reconsider your choices, and save money somewhere else.

DEBBIE AMSDEN, Star

The best and worst

The comics are one of my favorite sections, and I know that sometimes they must change. However, there are currently certain ones I would like to be sure to keep.

1) Pickles: 2) Lola; 3) Non Sequitur; 4) Zits; 5) Baby Blues; 6) Shoe; 7) Bound and Gagged.

Dropable: 1) Pearls before Swine; 2) Get Fuzzy; 3) Dilbert; 4) Bizaro.

Keepable: 1) Rose is Rose; 2) Lu Ann; 3) Jump start; 4) Doonesbury; 5) Mother Goose and Grim; 6) the Wizard of Id; 7) Mutts.

Borderline: Blondie, Gil, Sally Forth, Garfield,

Trying to make up my mind about Frazz, Dustin.

And PLEASE keep Sudoku.

Thank you.

MARK LALLATIN, Boise

Don’t mess with success

Why was someone allowed to mess with the best feature of your paper — the comics?

You eliminated some of the best comics you ever had: Blondie, Dennis the Menace, Family Circle, etc., and inserted some unbelievable ones, like Gil, Frazz, Dilbert, while retaining some ridiculous ones, like Pearls, and Get Fuzzy. You apparently don’t realize what a big part these comic strips play in our lives.

We look forward to a little bit of humor, so to have you just yank them away with no explanation is in very poor taste and shows very little regard for your readers.

Please print a commentary on why these changes were made. Thank you.

BOB STORM, Boise

For Better or Worse

What on earth happened to Lynn Johnston’s “For Better or Worse” comic strip? Don’t you know how many of us follow that family? I’ve had some of my favorite strips posted on my fridge since the ’90s! Remember when Farley died? There are a lot of strips you can do away with, but “For Better or Worse” isn’t one of them.

JUDY MATTOX, Nampa

Put new comics online

I am a stubborn and faithful daily reader of your paper version and have loved newspaper comics for close to all of my near eight decades. Despite all your efforts to get young people to read print, it’s your older audience who prefers it while the young read online.

My daughter and grandchildren, for instance: books, newspapers, periodicals, all online. So put these strange new comics online and give your true “paper” readers back the classics, we miss them!

CAROL DELANEY, Boise

Restore our lives

Re: Comics

OK, the joke’s on us.

Now you have seen how serious we are about our comics.

How you have caused sleepless nights, nightmares, constipation, sweats, and more but unmentionable conditions in your loyal readers.

PUHLEEZE restore our life to us. After all, the political antics are over, we need comics to replace them. Thanking you in advance, I remain a loyal reader.

STEPHEN J. KIMMEL, Boise

Daily disappointment

Every morning I get disappointed (and angry) when I read the paper and am reminded that you have taken away so many of the great old comics. And replaced them with some that are so far just unfunny space-taker-uppers! The Statesman has lost so much in the last couple of years, and now to add to our misery you go by some obviously screwed up poll and remove all these old goodies ... OMG.

I think I know what my decision will be when it comes time to renew my subscription.

JOHN TEEGARDEN, Meridian

ANTI-DISCRIMINATION

Good move by Boise

Congratulations to the citizens of Boise who — either by action or inaction — supported the passage of your new pro-GLBT ordinance. Now while you’re on a roll, why not finish the job and emasculate yourselves?

LANCE WELLS, Meridian

CONSUMERISM

Shopping season shows misplaced priorities

Is it possible that Black Friday and Cyber Monday do more to advertise unrestrained consumerism? And the multitude of ads to advertise unrestrained capitalism? The constant harping about growing the economy, buying and selling, etc., the need to provide jobs and paychecks exist to engage in more consumerism? Nothing is stated about what needs to be done to take care of our decaying infrastructure for which taxes are paid to bring about improvement. Since government has announced itself as a business operation, why is it possible for people appointed and elected to government positions able to view themselves as CEOs giving themselves salary, medical, and retirement packages that are not available to ordinary taxpayers who pay the taxes that give members of government the right to pamper themselves? Can we no longer expect freedom, justice and equality under God, or are we now committed to slavery, inequality and injustice under capitalism? I have no complaints abut my personal self but do wonder about the direction our government is taking our younger generations.

CECILIA B. LANGLAND, Boise

HIGHER EDUCATION COSTS

Colleges deserve additional funding

Public education in the state of Idaho is crumbling, as tuition continues rising to unprecedented levels. Tuition costs have significantly risen in the last decade, and college students everywhere are feeling the crunch. Most people know at least one person attending college, and many parents worry about paying for college from the moment their children are born. Most adults are content to sit around and do nothing while our state’s higher education system starts to crumble. The cause of the rise in tuition is the recent lack of state and federal funding for public universities. The best solution is to increase state and federal funding for public universities in Idaho, while also offering incentives such as extra funding to schools who can keep tuition affordable for all students.

Higher education is a critical aspect of the “American dream.” ... Elementary and secondary education is required to be provided “free,” paid for by American tax dollars. If education is seen as important enough to provide for free, shouldn’t higher education at least receive more funding?

RYAN ICHIYAMA, Moscow

BIKE TIRE WEAR

Check the tires

In the public’s interest, I’d like to caution my fellow Boise bicyclists to check the integrity of your tires because the roughness of the newly seal-coated streets throughout town has apparently accelerated tire wear.

PAUL KLINK, Boise