Letters to the Editor 8/28

Defense budgets need major overhaul


Before George W. Bush’s father became president, one invulnerable submarine could destroy any country on Earth.

The Cold War ended over 10 years ago. The former Soviet Union split into 15 countries. There are about 300 million people in the United States

For each of the past 10 years, the United States has been spending about $300 billion for defense. In other words, the U.S. has been spending about $1,000 per person per year for the last 10 years.

It would take about 250,000 Oklahoma City sized bombs to equal the deaths of World War II. The Oklahoma City bomb killed about 200 people; WWII killed about 50,000,000. One U.S. submarine now has more firepower than all of WWII.

According to page 207 of the 2002 World Almanac, the U.S. defense budget is now five times larger than the Russian budget. All western European nations are allies of the U.S.

Still, George W. Bush wants large increases in non-terrorist related defense spending.
Sandy Wilson is a resident of Seattle, WA.


Goldstein events merit more Oracle coverage


I am absolutely shocked and saddened that I saw only one small article in Tuesday’s Oracle about an immense story in our community. We had a terrorist among us, allegedly about to target innocent people, yet you have failed to give the story of Dr. Goldstein the coverage it deserved.

I can only imagine the hype that would surround this story had the shoe been on the other foot-had a Muslim extremist been found with explosives and lists of Jewish temples as targets.

I’m sure that others will agree with me that such a double standard does not make for credible journalism.

I know that The Oracle strives for (and often achieves) credibility, so I am certain that it will rectify this oversight.

Sean Kinane is a doctoral candidate in the biology department.