Only a vote for change can put us back on track

Only a vote for change can put us back on track
EDITOR:
Revelations about Iraq continue each week to prove that George Bush's rush to war was a poor choice for America. While the world may be better off without Saddam Hussein, it is not better off without all the dead or injured Iraqi civilians or the more than 1,000 American soldiers.
No provable ties connect Iraq to Al-Qaida -- even Bush admits this. Osama Bin Laden remains unaccounted for. No WMDs have been found in Iraq after all this time. Simply put, we attacked the wrong guys, a lot of people have been unnecessarily killed, and billions of tax dollars have been wasted.
Add to that the state of our economy and the huge job losses, and four more years of Bush is an expensive thing indeed.
It is time to embrace the need for change in America. It is time for the reins of leadership to be given to more experienced, more capable hands. John Kerry deserves our vote because America deserves better than it has had the last four years. Kerry will put America back on a sensible path.
GERRY SCHULTZ
Austintown
The war belongs in Iraq,not here on American soil
EDITOR:
There are some people who are so convinced that we shouldn't have gone to war in Iraq that they deny terrorists have ever been there. Since their permission wasn't granted for terrorists to be in Iraq, the war against terrorists in Iraq is wrong. The fact that terrorists have been in Iraq for over 10 years must be ignored.
War is always bad because the politicians lost the war in Vietnam. Our soldiers were winning, but supplies and funding were stopped abruptly.
If we do that again in Iraq, it won't be a few million in Iraq who die because of our politicians. It will be millions of people in the United States. The terrorists are convinced that there are enough girlie men among our politicians that they will win and be able to come here and hit us again and again.
STANTON W. DORAN
Youngstown
Kerry and the Democratsplay politics with military
EDITOR:
On Tuesday, Republicans in the House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly against legislation that called for reinstating the draft, and the bill was soundly defeated. This was an important moment in today's political climate because both Sen. John Kerry and Sen. John Edwards have falsely claimed that Republicans and President Bush support draft reinstatement.
While this vote should put the issue to rest, it is necessary to point out that it is another Democrat -- South Carolina's Ernest Hollings -- who has introduced similar legislation in the Senate.
No Republican in Congress has introduced any draft legislation.
Kerry is on record saying he might be open to the idea of a draft, and Bush, in his statements during the debates, made it clear that under him America's military will remain all-volunteer.
Bush understands that the men and women who volunteered to defend America, and who serve in our military today, deserve our greatest appreciation and respect.
As a candidate to be commander in chief, Kerry should know better than to play politics with military service.
IAN VASEY
Hubbard
It's time for a fresh startwith Kerry and Edwards
EDITOR:
I am so tired of the fear mongering from the Republicans that it actually pains me. We absolutely need a fresh outlook on the very difficult problems that we face -- globally, nationally and locally. If the administration cannot even recognize the problems, how can it possibly fix them.
John Edwards was forward-looking, hopeful, had plans and actually demonstrated a clear understanding of the difficulties facing myself and my family. He showed the desire to fix these things.
But Dick Cheney had nothing to share but the same old repetitive attacks and excuses that I have heard for the last year. He has had four years and failed. Change is what we need.
ROSE MARIE WIRE
Youngstown