Letters to the editor: Pulling out of Afghanistan, climate change
Afghanistan
My husband was a Vietnam veteran who died of cancer due to Agent Orange in 2014. We citizens were very much against the war, and returning soldiers were treated shamefully, egged upon return and required for their own safety to change into civilian clothes so the public wouldn’t identify them as soldiers.
He was very concerned that we’d be in Afghanistan too long and that Afghani soldiers would always expect us to fight their battles for them.
Sadly, he died before vets from Nam were shown appreciation. He would have been proud to see that today’s soldiers are honored in the way they deserve, and that our President shows the strength to do the right thing.
Kathy Dzuck, Boise
Fighting wars
Why in the world do we fight wars since World War II with one hand behind our back? Wars, if they have to be, should be fought with everything we have. With all the technology and all the men that can be used. We didn’t do that in Vietnam or Iraq or Afghanistan.
We have been there for 20 years and accomplished nothing except to spend billions and many many lives. I would even now finish this and defeat for all time the Taliban with two or three divisions of men and all the technology and air power at our disposal. Then maybe the lives lost the last 20 years would not have been in vain. But whatever happens now by the powers that be will not bring back anyone who died over there, but if done properly and with all we can possibly put into it just might come close to justifying, at least to a degree, the last 20 years. What is probably going to happen is a travesty and as usual no real solution to the people of Afghanistan.
Stephen R. Bancroft, Boise
Diplomacy, not war
As all the hand wringing and lamentation are expressed about the U.S. leaving Afghanistan, keep in mind that this is George Bush’s and Dick Cheney’s legacy. It was a mistake to invade this country in the first place and it took the leadership of President Biden to get us out. After 20 years of military intervention, the quickness of the collapse of the government, police and military illustrate how ignorant it’s been to stay in for so long. No matter when we left, the exact same thing would have happened. When will we learn that we cannot take our military into other countries and expect anything but a temporary victory? When we learn to invest in diplomacy instead of war we will start being the world leader we think of ourselves.
Andy Hedden-Nicely, Boise
Green schools
I am a freshman at North Junior High, and I support the Green Schools Resolution. I think we can all agree that the recent intense summer heat waves and unhealthy smoke from Northwest wildfires that we have been experiencing are not pleasant in the least. If we do not adopt cleaner sources of energy, these effects of climate change will only continue to worsen. It is truly imperative that we act now to protect our future generations. If we want them to experience all the incredible things Idaho has to offer, from skiing in the mountains to fishing in the rivers, we need to protect our planet to preserve our future and our descendants’. I strongly encourage readers to write to Boise School District superintendent Coby Dennis and the Board of Trustees to please take immediate action and support passing a clean energy commitment to preserve our planet and ensure we have a future.
Yvonne Shen, Boise