Dick Cheney backpedaling fast

Dick Cheney is backpedaling so fast in hopes that there will never be an investigation on what he and George W. Bush knew prior to 9/11 and their failure to act.

Bill Clinton briefed Bush on Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the World Trade Center and Cole bombings before he left office. They chose not to act; they are directly to blame. Cheney's argument â€"â€" that the waterboarding of the leaders of the attack gleaned information that has kept us safe â€"â€" is hogwash.

Jesse Ventura, who suffered waterboarding for training as a SEAL, said, " … I'll put it to you this way: You give me a water board, Dick Cheney and one hour, and I'll have him confess to the Sharon Tate murders." In other words, you can't believe anything any person would say after torture, which robs the brain of oxygen and any kind of logical thinking. If it was so effective, why didn't they ask about the hiding places of bin Laden and his group?

If the security measures Clinton had in place had been taken seriously, the terrorists would have been stopped at the airports. Cheney and Bush chose to ignore Clinton's warnings; they wanted a 9/11 and an excuse to invade Iraq.

Peggy Hart

Carlsbad

Nonvoters have no right to complain

I was undecided on the recent state election because it was obvious to me that either way, our government must get the money needed to keep our state able to function (see the Daniel Weintraub column, "State now has a few, ugly options," of May 21).

So now that we voted down all the measures needed, even though we knew there's no other place to get these funds without robbing many county programs, there's no other choice!

We didn't want the recent tax raise to continue for another two years (has anyone even noticed it?), nor the loss of any Lottery money, etc. But now we'll have thousands of prisoners out on the streets, seven days less in the school year, fewer health programs, and many state employees will lose jobs or wages, including police and firemen! Is this what we really wanted?

We have no right to complain now, especially those who never even bothered to vote in such an important election!

Beverly Courtemanche

Fallbrook

Are we really a nation of laws?

Dick Cheney should just say what he believes: Torture is not only OK, but it was his responsibility to use torture to protect American lives from terrorist attacks. There is no point in debating whether waterboarding is torture; the U.S.A. convicted Japanese soldiers based on that very conclusion. Cheney would use any method of torture â€"â€" he would set no bounds â€"â€" to meet his responsibility.

The debate we should be having is whether we are a nation of laws, or whether we are willing to sacrifice our laws in the pursuit of safety? Do we suspend personal privacy and monitor all phone calls, torture suspected terrorists, detain someone without charge based on suspicion only, and otherwise ignore the checks and balances of our legal system, all in the name of safety?

Life has risks. The rule of law draws a line at where government must stop and let us live freely, in spite of such risks. I am not willing to give up that freedom, nor the simple moral decency that says Americans do not resort to torture, to pursue a fantasy that we can live risk-free.

Samuel Knight

Del Mar

Hypocrites all around us

Let me describe the king … (whom) the new Whig party selected. … (The) Whig party selects a weak president (it's Bush's fault), and allows the Congress to step all over us.

This so-called president is … about to lead the United States towards communism, or he is going to try.

If you have noticed, he appoints czars. This is a Russian thing: auto czar, tax czar, drug czar. This is czarism, a dictatorship (old Russia). What next? Shall he proclaim his wife a czarina? An empress?

Now about the hypocrisy of all this.

The Whig ilk tell us to give him a chance, but for eight years, they didn't give President Bush a chance from day one. Hypocrites!

The Whig ilk say, "Don't call him derogatory names," but for eight years, their ilk berated Bush with derogatory name-calling. Hypocrites!

The Whig ilk say stand behind this king, but for eight years, the only reason they would stand behind Bush was to throw him under the bus. Hypocrites.

They called Bush a war-mongerer; yet this king of theirs continues the same war with nary a peep from their ilk. Hypocrites.

… Your crows will come home to roost …

Fidel "Jay" Jiron

Oceanside

Are you one of us or one of them?

I understand that there are about 300 million United States citizens. As one, I have come to believe that except for a few of us, most of them are nuts.

To name a couple: There are our North County congressmen. I believe that their political intelligence is comparable with that of or below that of those simians that are rejected by the San Diego Zoo.

Then there are the anti-tax groups, the ones who complain about paying taxes, yet are the ones who scream the loudest when our streets are not safe or clean; when our schoolchildren do not have adequate supplies; and when there is a teacher shortage. (Besides, I'll bet some of them cheat on what taxes they do pay.)

And of course, who can forget the rabid hate of many for those who cross the border illegally? (That's for the Feds to handle.)

What is so two-faced about their anger is that they are usually the ones who hire them to do the dirty work we so-called Americans will not do â€"â€" especially since they work harder and for less money.

You letter writers: Are you one of us or one of them?

Harry Titus

Oceanside

Seeing the light

President Obama's rationalization for "change" in the way the United States prosecutes "overseas contingency operations" is illuminating; so too is a 7-watt light bulb in a mineshaft.

Truly a bulwark for our commander-in-chief, Secretary of Homeland Security Napolitano promulgated a report on "right-wing extremism" identifying American veterans of overseas contingency operations and conservative Christians as the greatest threat this nation faces today. Obviously, the report was more highly classified than the CIA's enhanced interrogation memos, as she ordered that it be removed from the department's Web site and told reporters that it was not authorized to be distributed to those who lacked the requisite security clearance and need to know.

One can scarcely imagine Secretary Napolitano's shock and awe upon being briefed that the four men whose thwarted attempt to bomb the Bronx synagogue and Jewish center were neither veterans of overseas contingency operations nor conservative Christians, but American Muslim converts who incubated the idea for their own jihad while still in prison.

Perhaps transferring jihadists from Club Gitmo to our stateside prisons would not alter the status quo, especially now that they no longer bear the stigma of extremists like American veterans and their conservative Christian counterparts.

Richard Wible

Oceanside

A true role model

I read with interest today about MiraCosta student Susan Pelbath, who was set to graduate with an associate degree and a 4.0 grade average ("MiraCosta student excels without sight," May 22). After getting a degenerative retinal disease and losing her sight, Susan conquered her obstacles and graduated from MiraCosta College with the Medal of Honor. This is a true role model our children should hear about.

She is in stark contrast to the proposed role model Vista Unified School District Trustee Jim Gibson rallied before our school district. Carrie Prejean graduated from the VUSD and went on to surgically alter her body for sexual appeal, pose half-nude to sell underwear and misstate the facts about gay marriage in a national contest.

Yes Jim, our children need good role models. I am sure if you went back to the drawing board, you would find many admirable VUSD graduates deserving of your proclamation. I suggest you do just that.

Margaret Caltagirone

Vista

Hypocrisy on the Vista school board

Last week, the board majority of the Vista Unified School District made negative, arrogant statements about the character of Miss California, one of their former students. I find this very hypocritical coming from three board members, Herrera, Jaka and Chunka, who themselves less then two months ago were caught in an illegal and unethical secret meeting with their politically active teachers union supporters at 1:30 in the morning.

They knew that the meeting was an illegal meeting, but they were told by their teachers union supporters that they had made a wrong vote on the board the night before and therefore had to correct it at the next meeting. No wonder they voted against one of their own students because she answered that she was pro-traditional marriage and they are not.

When is the North County Times going to give us more information on these illegal secret meetings? And when are these board members going to be held accountable for their actions?

Board members: Stop criticizing your own students and start owning up to your own lack of character and ethics!

Christine Branner

San Marcos

You may control the destiny

It's time. The day we have all been waiting for is almost here! What does that mean for you? You may control the destiny … all of you. Most important, whatever you have to do to get to the LAFCO public meeting at 9 a.m. June 4, do it!

Take one of our free buses, car-pool, drive … just be there to support the city of Temecula's annexation and make this happen! It is the people who give of their time, their efforts, their passion to protect their communities and their treasured "open space" that will win out at the end. Let's do it for the children and the generations still to come.

You can't afford to stay in the background on this one; there is just too much at stake.

We are not a billion-dollar corporation. We are just people doing the best we can, trying to create lives with those we love in communities we chose for many reasons; one of those reasons was the clean air we breathe every day.

It is David and Goliath all over again.

Go to www.nogravelquarry.com or call 760-451-2413 or 760-468-1903.

Jerri Arganda

Rainbow

Pelosi a red herring for torture debate

This phony hue and cry about what Nancy Pelosi knew about torture illustrates how dishonest both Republicans and the media have become. She wasn't in a position to stop the torture policies or blow the whistle on them. The Pelosi issue is a red herring designed to divert attention from the torture itself.

And instead of pointing this out, the media is breathlessly groveling after the phony Pelosi story.

As bad as the torture was, it's a diversion from the much-bigger war crime of having started the war on Iraq without justification. Thousands of Americans have died and countless have been injured, physically and mentally. Our precious resources have been squandered and our national attention was diverted from other important issues. And much, much worse was done to Iraq and its people.

U.S. prosecutors at Nuremberg led the world in establishing that starting a war without justification is criminal. Many Germans were hanged for this crime. That's one reason Bush & Co. lied to make it look like their war was necessary and justified. There can be no justice in the world until they are tried for their great crimes. That's what we should be talking about.

Dick Eiden

Vista

Gitmo's alternative: More terrorism

To those who continue to attack President Bush and those other Americans who risk their lives everyday to keep America safe, I can only conclude that the left and their allies want to see more Americans dead at the hands of terrorists. What other motivation drives them to want to punish those who protect America and the rest of the world? How did law enforcement intercept the terrorist plot in New York City this week â€"â€" was it by accident?

Calling those who were released from Gitmo innocent victims of evil America merely provides proof of the real sentiment â€"â€" those who hate their own country have no problem seeing their fellow Americans harmed. These same terrorists return to their murderous activities that only put innocent Americans and Muslims in harm's way.

The real dungeons are the torture and beheading chambers of the terrorists. What is shameful is that, according to a Pentagon report, one in seven detainees released from Gitmo return to their terror networks to plot and kill again.

The alternative to detention and interrogation of terrorists is more terrorism.

Is that what you want?

Josef Horowitz

Escondido