A victory to be appreciated

A victory to be appreciated

The Holocaust never hap- pened. Man has never landed on the moon. The interests of our nation should play second fiddle to the rants of a carnival barker’s ego. Anyone with an Internet connection is an authority on everything and therefore probably knows all things all the time.

Anyone who sees any of these statements as true, will probably see nothing unusual about Donald Trump’s hair when he eventually makes public demands to see photos of bin Laden’s shattered head to legitimize his campaign more than to prove the villain is dead.

I believe, and you may not (ain’t America grand), that one man with a perverse notion of righteousness is dead. I don’t think the world is any safer as a result, because there are many other hateful people ready to take his place as a mass murderer. I think the great thing accomplished by the courageous action of the Navy SEALS is that it clearly reflected the will of the great majority of Americans to resist terrorism. When, with all the means at our disposal as individuals and as a nation, we refuse to be cowed by those who would impose their will on us, we ensure our continued right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. These things are worth fighting for, arguing about, and debating. Who gets tossed from some bogus “reality” program is not.

A terrorist is dead, and I have no qualm about thanking those who killed him, I hope they will stay on the trail of others willing to follow his misguided example. I hope that all the hand wringers and doubters, especially those struggling to fill air time, will appreciate their right to fret and question is preserved by the courage of our military. I reject public celebration of the death of an enemy as being as unseemly for us as was the jubilation in Libya when the Lockerbie bomber was set free. For my part, I will celebrate by being thankful for each day I rise as a citizen of a nation that is still the most free and self determined society to ever exist.

Jim Cartwright, Canfield

Osama was armed to the teeth

I would like to address the growing number of folks out there who are making a big deal about the shooting of an “unarmed” person, namely Osama bin Laden.

I would like to inform you all off the fact that he was armed, the entire time. Remember, it was not an assault rifle that brought down the Twin Towers, nor a pistol that left gaping holes in the sides of the Pentagon and the USS Cole, but the most dangerous weapon of them all, the mind of a madman. It was OBL’s thoughts that created and planned these terrible events.

I, for one, am very proud that our Navy SEALs properly and permanently disarmed this cowardly lowlife.

Now, show me the pictures.

Andrew A. Ruetz, Austintown

Legacy survives death of an icon

The news last month of the death of Hollywood icon Elizabeth Taylor came as a shock for all who supported and adored her from the moment she debuted on the big screen.

But the silver-screen legend will be remembered by her films, glamorous lifestyle, eight marriages, her powerful voice in the AIDS movement and her relationship with Michael Jackson. Though, not uncommon nowadays, Taylor was one of the first actresses to appear partially nude on camera and was viewed as a sex symbol after she posed for Playboy in 1963. You may remember her best in “Cleopatra” (1963), “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” (1966) or “Giant” (1956), the latter of the three in which she appeared with James Dean and her close friend, Rock Hudson, who inspired her to form The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, with his passing from AIDS in 1985.

As all good things come to an end, so does Elizabeth Taylor’s career and life. But as long as there is film in the camera and movies to be made, Elizabeth Taylor will always remain in our hearts as a true Hollywood icon and beloved human being.

Ralph Rich, Hubbard