A quiet pride

Regarding your April 27 article "Military majesty sets tone at parade":

Your report could have been balanced a lot better. Even though it stated that "the protesters were a tiny minority, unseen by much of the crowd," you then proceeded to devote a lot of the written space to them. That distorted the picture for me entirely.

The media are often quite clumsy when they try to present both sides. One chicken is not the equal of one elephant.

I witnessed the parade and was deeply impressed. It was very much carried on in the American manner. No strutting, no goose-stepping, no aggressive music, such as seen in certain other countries around the globe. Among the participants were even the wives and children of soldiers, as well as high school bands.

This volunteer military is very effective in showing its quiet pride, and the residents of North Carolina, like myself, know how to appreciate it.

Fred Ullman

Raleigh

Peace-loving veterans

Regarding your April 27 article "Military majesty sets tone at parade":

I am a veteran of the U.S. Army and a member of Veterans for Peace. I was present for the "Salute to Our Troops" parade in downtown Raleigh.

I was there to support our troops in a way that some people were offended by. I stood by the street with a friend of mine and held up a "Veterans for Peace" banner. I was asked by a gentleman why I was not supporting the troops. I answered that I had been a troop myself and that I was lucky to come home unharmed by war.

I support and love our troops, but I feel sorry for them. They have been swindled into putting their lives on the line for a pack of lies. The politicians who, like sheep, supported this war without asking questions betrayed our troops. Politicians who continue to keep our troops in harm's way and to lie to them about why they are really there are the ones I do not support.

The best way to support these brave men and women is to tell them the truth and bring them home safe and sound.

Ken Knight

Garner

A comforting display

Of several letters condemning the "Salute to Our Troops" parade, the one that bothered me most was "A show of force" on April 25 likening us to Communists on May Day.

If we ever needed a time machine, we need one now so that the writer could go back with me to 1942 and join in as we watched newsreels of parades in Berlin and Tokyo and fighting in both theaters. We had enemy submarines off the East Coast, reports of enemy planes off Los Angeles, nightly blackouts and air raid drills; and we knew we were under threat.

For someone who was 11 years old at the time, it was a great comfort to see our troops on parade. A salute to all of them, then and now.

David Thomas

U.S. Army, Far East Command, 1949-53

Raleigh

Thankful for fine tribute

I would like to take the opportunity to thank the N.C. Bankers Association and the many leaders in the City of Raleigh and Wake County who made the April 26 "Salute to Our Troops" parade possible. As one who had the privilege of attending the parade, I can say that their months of thoughtful planning made the event a tremendous success.

As a member of the U.S. House Armed Services Committee, I am grateful for the City of Raleigh and its residents for showcasing their deep gratitude for the service and sacrifice of our nation's military. From my conversations with several men and women in uniform and their families, I know that the tribute was very much appreciated.

No one should ever question North Carolina's love for the United States Armed Forces. God bless our men and women in uniform, and may God continue to bless America.

U.S. Rep. Walter B. Jones

Washington

(The writer, a Republican, represents North Carolina's Third Congressional District.)

Keep support coming

Regarding your April 27 article "Military majesty sets tone at parade":

Thank you to the North Carolina supporters who made this day possible as a way to say thank you to our troops for their sacrifices, bravery and dedication. But please continue your support throughout the year of our 200,000+ troops still fighting this war and working to build these countries.

Every week, Give2thetroops provides care packages containing food, toiletries, cards and recreation items to our deployed troops as a way of showing America's appreciation. All businesses, schools, churches and individuals are invited to show their support in this very real way.

You can check us out at our Web site www.give2thetroops.org.

Barbara Whitehead

Ayden

Against the lies

Regarding your April 27 article "Military majesty sets tone at parade":

Our group of protesters at the "Salute to Our Troops" parade in Raleigh supported the troops in the most meaningful way. My sign said "Support Our Troops. Bring Them Home Now!" Several of us are veterans. My son served in the Navy, and I served decades ago in the Israeli military.

We were not against the troops. We were against sending them to die or be maimed in a war based on lies. Far from defending freedom, the war on terror has meant abrogating constitutional freedoms at home, causing our country to be reviled around the world and bringing a multitude of new recruits to al-Qaida. The perpetrators of 9/11 could hardly have hoped for a response better designed to undermine American power and, indeed, our way of life.

Our group distributed a leaflet, "Why We Are Here, Why We Mourn," in which we advocated, instead of saluting the mirage of military might, a parade of those in wheelchairs and on crutches followed by a demand that a sad but grateful nation provide the ongoing care that these young people will need.

Andy Silver

Cary

It's called satire

No, no, no, a thousand times "No!" The April 27 "Angry about Opus" letter-writer recommended banning "Opus" from the Sunday funnies, calling it offensive to women and inappropriate for children.

Now I'm angry and won't take it anymore! To clear up the writer's bafflement, "Opus" has been prominently displayed on the funny pages all these many years because of its exquisite ability to penetrate to core truths of our human existence in a few short words. It's called satire, and nobody does it as well as Berkeley Breathed.

The offending cartoon actually was spotlighting how insidious stereotypes are currently being used for political gain and highlighted the ridiculousness of this stereotyping, since it was, after all, a befuddled obese penguin delivering the message.

As for children, granted, the word uterus doesn't often make its way into "Family Circus," but how long do children need to mature before they can learn from whence they were anatomically thrust into this ultimate human satire called life?

Bob Flagg

Durham

Comic relief

As a fan of Berkeley Breathed's for 25 years and as a fellow Libertarian, I must write to defend him and the "Opus" cartoon strip.

My question to the April 27 writer angry about "Opus": What is offensive about the truth? In fact, the word (shhhh -- I won't say it!) that so offended her is credited to Hippocrates, the father of medicine! So the April 20 strip was dealing with an uncomfortable truth. Dealing with uncomfortable truths with humor, sarcasm and satire is the job of the humorist, of the cartoonist. These are the people who, by their art, struggle to keep our society sane and open to individual ideas.

Pulitzer Prize winners like Breathed keep us free! (A Sousa march plays in the background.) Those who are angered by the likes of "Opus" should turn that anger toward examining their own issues with free expression and try to develop a sense of humor!

I suggest a regimen of watching at least one Monty Python movie per week until you find yourself laughing.

Rich Cregar

Clayton