Monday, November 24, 2008
Critics unfair to WHINSEC
EDITOR:
Last Monday’s letter, “Local peace group opposes school for security forces,” was so full of falsehoods and misrepresentations I feel compelled to set the record straight, especially since there are some Murray State University classmates of mine in your area, and I wouldn’t want them to think the U.S. military is operating some rogue outfit in Fort Benning, Ga.
The Army’s School of the Americas did its job morally, legally and ethically for nearly 55 years. Despite the dishonest accusations about it, not one example of anyone using what he learned there to commit a crime has ever been found. To say that the school taught something contrary to American values and laws is a moral libel of the U.S. military and civilian personnel who worked there, because there is no such evidence.
On Oct. 30, 2000, President Clinton signed the FY01 National Defense Authorization Act. One section of that law created the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation. One sentence in the law closed the Army’s School of the Americas. I’m sorry, but the president and the Congress are not “unelected Pentagon bureaucrats.”
The best evidence that WHINSEC is an outstanding military organization contributing to our own country and our partner nations in the hemisphere is to witness its operation. Anyone can come here any workday, sit in on classes, talk with students and faculty, and review our instructional materials. We are fulfilling our congressionally mandated mission of providing education and training to military, law enforcement, and civilian personnel of the Western Hemisphere, doing so while fostering transparency and cooperation with the United States and among the students, and emphasizing in all courses the necessity of respecting human rights.
Finally, students of WHINSEC all come from countries with elected civilian governments. The idea that those elected officials would send people to learn how to oppress those who elected them is patently ridiculous.
LEE A. RIALS
Fort Benning, Ga.
X The writer is a public affairs officer for the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation.
Charging for parking at Chevy Centre is a bad idea
EDITOR:
According to The Vindicator, parking is no longer free at the Chevy Centre. As of Oct. 31, a person attending an event at the Chevy Centre should be prepared to pay anywhere from $5 to $10 per vehicle.
Usually the city of Youngstown pays $16,000 a month to USA Parking to provide up 2,400 spaces in parking decks and lots for Chevy Centre shows. The city failed to renew the contract.
Making the people pay for parking is a bad idea. The people already have to pay for their show tickets. The tickets, which already include the city charging 5.5 percent tax, was used to help pay for the parking contract. Why should patrons have to pay for parking now? Will that fee that the city was once charging on the tickets be deducted?
If anything, the parking fee should already be included in the ticket price. People will find a way to get around it.
People now probably will ride with a friend in order not to pay the parking fee. People will also try to get dropped off in order to avoid paying.
Indeed, this parking fee will take a lot of time for people to get used to.
JESSICA HUDSON
Youngstown