Letters to the editor

Suicide attacks

In response to the Oct. 29 Kabul suicide bomb attack which killed 17 people, five of them U.S. troops, General John R. Allen’s comments are quite indicative of the tremendous frustration our military is feeling in Afghanistan. Gen. Allen is commander of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

He said this: “I am both saddened and outraged by the attacks that took place today against coalition forces and the people of Afghanistan. The enemies of peace are not martyrs, but murderers. To hide the fact that they are losing territory, support and the will to fight, our common enemy continues to employ suicide attackers to kill innocent Afghan fathers, mothers, sons and daughters, as well as the coalition forces who have volunteered to protect them.”

Well, just what are we doing over there? Is this a war or what? Who is the enemy? Who are these suicide attackers? Are they considered the enemy or is there some ‘war rule’ to which legitimate enemies agree to which outlaws and makes ‘suicide attacks’ illegal?

I am as horrified as the next person, being an American, about all these suicide attacks. I can’t for the life of me figure out how anyone can volunteer for such an act. But they do. And we have apparently made military invasions into cultures in the Middle East where ‘war rules’ include suicide attacks. We have drones, they have people willing to blow themselves up. What should be the rules of war anyway?

As a person who cannot see any sense in people killing each other as a way of settling anything, I simply ask these questions as a way of staging my own little ‘occupy protest’ right here in front of my computer.

Bob McClellan

Polson

Fine citizen

It seems that instead of casting aspersions upon a strong candidate for public office, the author, Ric Smith, ought to use his time to research the history of the Pledge of Allegiance and the reasons some citizens choose to not engage in the practice. After enlightening himself, he may consider extending an apology to those whose religious faith or personal convictions do not allow them to participate in this ritual.

Better yet, instead of publicly questioning why Polson would “vote for a candidate who does not pledge their allegiance” Smith could have discussed this issue directly with Murat Kalinyaprak rather than use the editorial page for character assassination. We have enough of this type of behavior in our national political arena. We don’t need the same in Polson’s political races, our town is better than that.

I know Mr. Kalinyaprak personally. He is a fine citizen and one dedicated to our country, the democratic process and the rule of law. Polson would be fortunate to have this intelligent, moral man, represent them on the city commission.

Ginni Lionberger

Polson

Allegiance response

A letter to the editor last week challenged Murat Kalinyaprak’s allegiance to the United States, in an attack against Murat, running for City Commission.

The writer does not know Murat or he would not have questioned his allegiance. On Dec. 18, 1989, Murat chose to become an American citizen and proudly took the Oath of Allegiance:

I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; *** and that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion.

Murat has been honored to uphold this solemn oath of allegiance and will continue to do so, when elected. As a person who chose to be an American citizen, he has a special regard for the values of our Constitution and the Bill of Rights. He has consistently stood for our rights as citizens, attending almost all city commission meetings for six years. Murat is a candidate for the city commission for no other purpose than to fulfill his civic duty in a more effective capacity, by putting his intellect, experience and knowledge to work for his district and the city of Polson.

We urge you to disregard the innuendo in the letter to the editor. We personally know that Murat Kalinyaprak is the candidate who has demonstrated that he stands for all our constitutional rights.

Denise Peterson, Judy Preston, Wilma Mixon-Hall, and Pete and Carol Daniels

Polson