No pigs need die for wounded soldiers to live

No pigs need die for wounded soldiers to live

EDITOR,

I read the Aug. 13 article “To get the feel of real trauma, troops practice on pigs” and am very sad and disappointed that Camp Pendleton uses pigs deliberately wounded to train service men. This is a very cruel and outdated method that is so unnecessary for training purposes.

I have personally read the testimonies of battlefield physicians in training who said that no amount of hands on animal trauma victims in medical school prepared them for what they experienced on the battlefield during war. These testimonies have appeared in the Good Medicine quarterly magazine from time to time. This medical magazine is researched and produced by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, the same non-profit organization of medical physicians, professionals and lay persons that challenged the U.S. government and brought about the Food Pyramid.

Once again it’s all about money, not saving lives. Anybody notice the company supplying the pigs employs former combat veterans to instruct the marines and sailors? Annual contracts are worth $6.5 million and $10 million; this is despicable.

Educate yourself about this issue and contact your congressman and senators to stop this cruelty to animals, Camp Pendleton is supported by your tax dollars.

SANDY GROZA HRABOWY

Liberty Township

Big news was a big bust

EDITOR:

The two-day, two-station over coverage of Jim Traficant’s letter to Stan Boney was not newsworthy. All I learned was the former congressman, like Al Bundy, is still reliving his high school football days. The letter, like his speeches, said nothing but filled a lot of space.

In another story, the two-station news team asked a Trumbull County commissioner what he thought about Traficant’s release, and he stated that Traficant served his time. This brilliant remark came from a man arrested last month for hitting his wife. Gotta love these stories. And then the big news was that Traficant has a ponytail.

I do wish him well, good health and laughter. But I am not one of his sheep. Twenty dollars a plate to honor a convicted felon shows how sad and lonely some people are. And one of Traficant’s supporters claimed to me that “they,” meaning all politicians, do what he did. I asked him for proof, and he had none. The claim is made by those who would justify the crime. So I guess my Valley is full of weak minded people.

JIM WILLIAMS

Boardman

Enough Traficant bashing

EDITOR:

I’m so sick of the “trashing of Traficant.” The four politicians in Tuesday’s paper was the last straw. How arrogant and uncompassionate of them. One is worried about “embarrassing the community nationally.” What about the embarrassment of getting an F grade for our city schools?

As for Traficant making an apology and admission of guilt, did they even think that he may be innocent? There have been many innocent people sent to prison.

As for the celebration, ever hear of the “prodigal son?” Ever hear of “Let you who are without sin, cast the first stone?”

When this community no longer has a drug problem, daily shootings, killings, robberies of the young and elderly, break-ins and schools in academic emergency, then and only then we won’t be an embarrassment to the nation.

If you can’t say something good about someone, don’t say anything at all.

PATRICIA OLSON

Youngstown