Thursday's letters to the editor

RE: Rev Kaster’s letter of Aug. 19: I am utterly amazed The T&D would publish a letter that uses what appears to be an "Urban Legend" as a basis of fact.

I have long heard but NEVER been able to verify the rumor that Sen. Clinton disrespected a uniformed member of our armed services in the manner in which the Rev. Kaster claims.

If he’s not a fan nor supporter of the female senator from the state of New York, so be it. That is his right in this land of ours.

All I ask is that he and others stick to verifiable facts.

As far as Sen. Clinton’s anti-military sentiments, let’s just state that she "is an original sponsor of legislation that expanded health benefits to members of the National Guard and Reserves," was a leader in successfully pushing through legislation "to track the health status of our troops so that conditions like Gulf War Syndrome would no longer be misdiagnosed," has made and continues to make trips to Walter Reed, Iraq, Afghanistan and numerous stateside military bases to include the 10th Mountain (Light Infantry) Division in her legislative jurisdiction (where a close personal friend and former Infantry Officer Basic Course classmate of mine is the deputy commanding general), just to name a few of her "anti" military endeavors.

He further states that former President Clinton begrudgingly tolerates those who serve in uniform. While an operations supervisor at San Francisco International Airport, I worked the majority of then-President Clinton’s many and frequent Air Force One flights through that facility and became acquainted with a number of the enlisted flight crew assigned to that distinguished unit. To a man and woman, they all expressed how much they enjoyed working his flights and how well he received and treated them. I also witnessed how he greeted, spoke to and interacted with them, and nothing I observed countered what they expressed to me.

In the last two elections, we all observed those currently occupying our national residence unjustifiably and shamefully slander and question the military careers and records of their opposition. I’d enjoy and welcome the good Rev’s views on the administration’s shameful campaign attacks on and questioning of the service records of Sens. Kerry and McCain, as well as that of former Sen. Max Cleland, just to name three, as well as the recent attacks on the military service of Sen. Murtha simply because he didn’t fall lockstep in line with the beliefs and views of the current administration.

Especially so in light of the fact that the vice president verifiably received five draft exemptions to avoid service during Vietnam. In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine during the last election campaign, VP Cheney, when asked why he didn’t serve, responded:  "I had other priorities."

And, in light of the clouds and smoke screens surrounding the military service of the currently seated president, how can it be that absolutely no one who served in that Montgomery, Ala., Air Force unit at the time the president claims to have done so can ever remember his having shown up for a single, solitary drill? I’m not now nor will I ever state that the current president wasn’t administratively transferred from a Texas unit and assigned to that Alabama unit, just that there is credible evidence to support the belief that, after said transfer,  he never again showed up other than to out process when his time ran out.

If someone doesn’t like nor support a particular candidate, so be it and campaign that way to your heart’s content. HOWEVER, let’s stick to facts, not innuendo and unfettered emotion.

Sen. Clinton may not be known for having the most cheerful disposition, but the fact remains she does appear, via her actions, words and deeds, to have the welfare of our service men and women at heart.

— Frank H. Staley VFW Life Member # 1431237, American Legion Life Member # 201927888, Upper Marlboro, Md.

Everyone in battle against litter

Litter (trash and debris of any kind), on our streets, highways, rivers, streams, by-way properties in Bamberg County and elsewhere, is everybody’s problem, and unless we all take responsibility, it will get worse.

First of all, we must appeal to those who litter — to care and stop doing it. That’s what 16 welcome signs, paid for by individuals and businesses, placed on highways entering Bamberg County and 23 signs paid for by each town, placed at town limits, do. Their appeal to travelers is "Help Us Be Litter Free. Thanks." Unless everyone does his or her dead-level best not to litter, we’ll continue to have trashy streets and highways.

Secondly, unless everyone of us, as citizens, spends some time focusing on the litter problem we have, put upon us by those who do not care and litter, it’s going to be a continuing blight and eyesore, even to the extent of preventing economic development in Bamberg County. If litter-trash is seen, it must be picked up.

We of the Bamberg County Litter Control Board, volunteer representatives in each district, are finding that the greatest need to combat and get control of our litter-trash problem is an appeal to every citizen to do something. We ask people to care and not litter and where there is litter, to do something to get it off the scene. We ask every citizen to spend 30 minutes a week focusing on the problem: Think about the problem; talk to others; teach children to not litter, and everyone pick up some litter.

As chairman of the BCLCB, I do what we ask people to do. I enlist others to help and, just today, I picked up three large trashbags of trash in a three-block area in my district in Denmark.

I want to commend every individual who is responding with help in combating our litter-trash problem: clubs, churches, schools, scout troops, the adopt-a-highway program, Palmetto Pride, townships, newspapers and, also, the art teachers in our public schools who challenge students to enter our annual poster contests. Some good volunteer work is being done.

No one of us needs to wait for some big county-wide sweep to get involved, though there will be such from time to time. Palmetto Pride says that if every citizen in South Carolina would pick up just one piece of trash every day, a difference would be made.

Of course, if those more than 4 million pieces of trash were not thrown out in the first place, it would be an indication that people care and don’t litter.

— Ted Robertson, Chairman of the Bamberg County Litter Control Board

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