Wrong on Korean War

No wonder columnist Paul Greenberg is confused. He is a Republican working for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. It may help to explain his classifying the Korean War as a “stalemate.”

Greenberg needs to understand that the United States had two objectives when we entered the Korean War. The first was to push the North Korean army back above the 38th parallel. The second was to preserve the integrity of the South Korean government.

Since 1953 the North Korean army has remained above the 38th parallel and the South Korean government has been preserved and has what is arguably the strongest army in Southeast Asia. Their country is thriving.

To say that war ended in a stalemate is an insult to every American who served there, especially to every American who died there.

For a true understanding of the Korean War, Greenberg and others should read The Coldest Winter by David Halberstam. Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s policies in that war might explain some of the problems that our army endured.

Maurice Labens

Waco

About health-care bill

The same folks who have run Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Amtrak and the U.S. Postal Service into the ground now want us to believe a forced federal government takeover of health care will suddenly, somehow magically and responsibly manage all aspects of our health and care without any corruption or waste?

Call me skeptical but I think not. This is all about one thing: control.

Wake up, America. The blur between a U.S. citizen and a subject of the “state” is becoming difficult to distinguish.

Didn’t we fight a war once against a corrupt, overbearing, tyrannical government?

Jamie Amos

Waco

* * *

With a new and improved health care bill introduced — at 1,900 pages, up from the original bill’s 1,100 pages — lawmakers surely have had plenty of time to read it before the debate in Congress.

I believe lawmakers had all of 72 hours before debate was to begin. So, if one read 26 pages an hour and did not sleep, the entire bill could have been read and digested.

I suggest that once a bill is introduced, there be a minimum of one week before it can be considered by lawmakers, plus a one-week delay for every 100 pages in a bill.

This should make for shorter, more succinct bills being introduced.

Tom Flowers

Waco

Hear the symphony

Today, the Waco Symphony Youth Orchestra will hold its 2009 fall concert at 4 p.m. in Baylor’s Jones Hall.

These young musicians happily give up their Sunday afternoons for rehearsals and to play for the joy they find in music.

The concert is open to the public and admission is free of charge.

We often hear that there isn’t anything to do in Waco. Come and enjoy an afternoon of music performed by our youth.

Dolores Sullivan

Waco