On War and Peace
I am writing in response to [Slant, "End Game," Barry Eisler, Aug. 11, 2005]. My husband is a pilot and a captain in the U.S. Marine Corps. He is currently serving his fourth deployment to the Middle East in three years, three of them in Iraq. It disgusts me to see so many editorials written by journalists who repeat the topics of "Where are the weapons of mass destruction?" or "How many casualties are too many?" or my favorite, "Are we winning the war in Iraq?"

The WMD question will never be answered. In October 2002, President Bush told Iraq that we were coming in March 2003. That is the equivalent to a burglar calling your house at noon and saying, "I will be there at midnight." If there was absolutely nothing to hide, then why all the delayed U.N. inspections during the months previous to the war? What were they hiding? Unless you were there, these are questions we must accept as unanswerable.

As to whether we are winning the war, that is not for us, or the U.S. government, to say. I can tell you from talking firsthand to people who have been there, that there are schools and hospitals now built in northern Iraq that are functioning and benefiting the Iraqi people and they welcome the U.S. for it. These are stories you never hear and pictures you never see, unless, of course, you actually talk to an American or coalition forces troop member.

When we talk about "failure" and losing the war, we degrade the accomplishments we have made in the Middle East. Why are we asking journalists and Americans sitting on their couches, "Is it worth it?" Why aren't journalists at homecomings asking the troops, or better yet, their families? No one has ever asked me, "Do you think the developments made in Iraq are worth waking up at 5:30 a.m. to go to work, while listening to CNN with one ear to see if your husband is still alive?" My answer would be yes!

I do not agree with George Bush or his choices. I do not think he entered this war under the best intentions (oil is not an issue anymore — get over it). Whether it was W's intent or not, the fact is that there are too many men from all countries dying every day for what they believe is to free Iraqis and help develop a government that will benefit the Middle East and help end terrorism, thereby providing a safer environment for the U.S. and their families here.
Laura Rivera
mayfair

Busy Summer
The Laramie Project is a very ambitious undertaking, and I wish Theatre Horizon the best [Artspicks, "The King of Prussia Project," Steve Cohen, Aug. 4, 2005]. However, Erin Reilly is wrong to claim they are "the only theater company in the Philadelphia area that is active all summer." Stop Kiss (profiled on the same page) has more performances than Theatre Horizon's entire season; and with eight weeks of farce, camp after camp, and a children's show each and every Saturday, I'd consider Hedgerow Theatre to be quite "active" as well. King of Prussia deserves great theater as much as any part of the region, but Theatre Horizon is kidding themselves to think everyone else is taking the summer off.
Liam Castellan
queen village