Morning letters: Military is the 'greatest job in all America'

Amberia Hollis, center, embraces her sons, Martrell Boyd, left, 8, and Marterius Boyd, 4, after she returned from a one-year deployment in Kuwait with the Tennessee National Guard's 230th Sustainment Brigade on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2012, in Memphis, Tenn. In addition to their support of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the brigade aided in the final phase of the U.S. withdrawal from Iraq in support of Operation New Dawn. (AP Photo/The Commercial Appeal, Mike Brown)

-YORBA LINDA, Betty Johnson: My ?pile of green glitter? moment was in June 1967, and I had on the sundress and sandals while waiting on the tarmac of MacDill Air Force Base. The Navy Lt. j.g. (junior grade) deplaning alone had just returned stateside after 12 months in the Mekong Delta. As I read Jenny Sokol?s words I could identify with every emotion expressed [?The world glitters: My Marine is home,? Life, Jan. 3].

But more important to me is that readers not connected to the military understand that those who choose to serve our country believe they have the greatest job in all of America. They believe that, despite all the hardships, injury and even death, these proud men and women of our military serve to secure freedom for us all.

When the Vietnam War moved into every living room that had a TV, the media were given the opportunity to influence our nation?s opinion of our military and its members.

It did not bode well for any branch of service. Today we have the responsibility; I mean, the duty, to return the profession of military service to its rightful respected place.

Obama skirts law, again

-IRVINE, Jerry Dworkin: President Barack Obama defends his surreptitious appointment of Richard Cordray as the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau by saying, ?When Congress refuses to act, and, as a result hurts our economy and puts people at risk, I have an obligation as president to do what I can without them? [?Fight expected on consumer post,? Nation & World, Jan. 5].

Gee, isn?t this exactly the position of the state of Arizona with regard to illegal immigration that the president, through his attorney general, has chosen to attack?

An out-of-control ?nanny?

-LAGUNA HILLS, Bob Fischer: As I read the collection of 700-plus new laws going into effect in California, I struggle to comprehend the priorities and ineptitude of our state legislators. These folks have driven me to describe my state as the ?Nanny State.? Yet the legislators won?t work on important issues.

Business is running away from California, stopping the bullet train seems so obvious, and then there?s the annual joke called a budget. Thank God the state can?t print money like President Barack Obama.

Stopping the sale of alcoholic beverages through self-serve checkout stands is pure union payback. Taxpayer money for illegals to go to college is ?criminal? (and displacing legal qualified kids). Why not privatize libraries? But the overwhelming problem I see ? is that these silly Nanny State legislators believe government is capable of solving every single issue they perceive to be a problem.

It wasn?t long ago, the state budget was constitutionally overdue, but the legislators were too busy debating plastic bags. Californians need to wake up and start electing intelligent people to the state Legislature.

?______

-IRVINE, Chris Beck: I was enjoying New Year?s Day until I read about all the wonderful new laws our legislators wrote for us. Brave new laws protect us citizens from all manner of evil; from unlicensed drivers being protected from losing their wheels to beer drinkers being protected from caffeinated beer to job applicants being protected from their past poor credit choices.

Curiously, nearly every author of these brilliant laws had a ?D? after their name. A coincidence? I think not.

It?s not bad enough that liberal Democrats have a stranglehold on our state and are breaking the backs of business owners and the employed. No, they must also pass ridiculous, Nanny State laws to justify their bloated salaries and pensions.

My wish for the New Year: Fire them and move to a part-time Legislature.

Tragedy of mental illness

-HUNTINGTON BEACH, Dale Davidson Harguess: I commend the Register for continuing to keep the subject of untreated mentally ill people in the news [?No easy answer on treating mentally ill,? Local, Jan. 4]. As the mother of a severely mentally ill son who refuses to get treatment, I hope a solution will arise out of this coverage.

As for the comments made by the last two people at the end of the article, my feeling is that they are both a little paranoid themselves and perhaps should be on medication for that condition. Use of medication is not, ?drugging people,? as the one writer said, but controlling a condition that the person cannot control with will power.

This is a disease that needs to be treated so that the person can then live a somewhat normal life.

My son has not been able to work in more than 12 years due to his severe paranoia. He lives in constant fear and is miserable because of it. The hopelessness and despair is totally debilitating. Please continue to keep this issue in the news.

I remember when ?

-MISSION VIEJO, Tom Sullivan: I?m glad I?m old enough to remember when America was proudest of the ?moon shot,? not the shooting of a terrorist; when the nation was brought together by the civil rights movement, not divided by Occupy encampments; when ?Made in America? was highly desired, not ?Made in (name the country)?; when music contained lyrics about holding hands, not rape or murder; when civility was admired, not, in-your-face theatrics.

I guess I?m just waxing nostalgic, but I don?t think anyone will be calling these ?the good ol? days? many years from now.

No cowardly ideologue

-TUSTIN, John O?Donald: George Orwell once said, ?Political chaos is connected with the decay of language.?

The literal definition of democracy is ?rule of the people;? however, once political correctness is introduced the opposite becomes true and the interests of the majority cease to be represented. The enemy of political correctness is free will. When observed from a distance political correctness at its core is a cowardly ideology.

Common sense disappears and fear of ?offending? prevails. The most dangerous form of political correctness manifests itself as legislation designed to force particular behaviors and attitudes. Public opinion is easily swayed because detractors fear, being labeled ?racist? for vocalizing beliefs because it is not politically correct to do so.

Orwell also said, ?If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.?

Going into the year I will be doing just that.

Hamburger heaven

-ANAHEIM, Collette Hausey: If one is going to write a food review of Original Tommy?s Hamburgers, it would be a very good idea to actually eat a Tommy?s burger for said purpose [?Original Tommy's competes for best burger,? Food, Dec. 29].

The ?California Classic? written about is not a Tommy?s burger, it?s the opt-out for those afraid of the real thing. The Tommy Burger is a wonderful combination of meat, chili, pickles, onion, mustard and thickly sliced tomato that is a yummy, sloppy delight, second to none.

Eating a California Classic for an Original Tommy?s review is like eating a chicken dish for a steakhouse review ? why bother?

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