Letters: Afghanistan collapse brings back memories; Not Penn State proud
Afghanistan collapse brings back memories
I have been watching all the news about what’s happening in Afghanistan and it has been bringing back memories of 50 years ago. I was in the USAF (1966-1970) and spent one year in Vietnam (1967-1968) loading weapons on F-4 Fighter aircraft. I knew the effect that they could cause on the enemy. However it became a political football and the troops were limited to the targets that could be attacked. We and the Axis countries defeated Germany and Japan in WW2 by attacking their infrastructure and ports to stop their supplies to their troops. When we left with a evacuation of Saigon with our tails between our legs we also left over 50,000 service people dead and many more missing. We have been in Afghanistan now for almost 20 years and we are now evacuating it the same way we left Vietnam and we are again abandoning the troops that have died, the ones who have been maimed and the ones who will remember the politicians that did this to them. I don’t regret anything I did when I was in the USAF because I was asked (told) to be drafted or enlist so I did my duty. I just know that if we enter a conflict we should go into it to win it or we should stay home.
Not Penn State proud
The truth is emerging as to why PSU refuses to require COVID vaccinations for all students. Despite the science, PSU has refused to protect the health and welfare of students, their staff and faculty and our community, many of whom are also their alumni. Their fear is that the state legislature will withhold state funding for the university budget, which is 5% of the total budget, if they mandate vaccinations. Cynically some say that everyone has a price for surrendering their integrity and values on an issue.
The university’s price is apparently 5% of their total budget.
Art sale will benefit NVEC
Please join us Friday, Sept. 24 from 4-7 p.m. for an Art Sale Benefit for Nittany Valley Environmental Coalition in Lemont at the Art Alliance Gallery, 818 Pike St. All sales will go to NVEC, a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization.
Donations are not tax-deductible.
Paintings, sculpture, drawings, photographs, and prints will be on view from many artists including:
Chris Staley
Kim Flick
Paul Chidester
Don Schule
Lindsey Landfried
Wes Glebe
Micaela Amateau Amato
(and many others)
Artists will deliver their work at 1 p.m. to Lemont Art Alliance, (814) 234-2740 and exhibition/sale runs from 4-7 p.m. Friday night only.
NVEC’s mission is to protect our constitutionally guaranteed environmental rights as Pennsylvania citizens. Its president is Dorothy Blair, vice-president David Roberts and secretary is Dee Aylward.
Article I Section 27 of the Pennsylvania Constitution states:
“The people have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and esthetic values of the environment. Pennsylvania’s public natural resources are the common property of all the people, including generations yet to come. As trustee of these resources, the Commonwealth shall conserve and maintain them for the benefit of all the people.”