Readers write
Trump’s war, Putin’s oil and America’s bill
First, President Donald Trump starts a war with Iran, disrupting the world’s oil supply and sending fuel prices soaring.
Then, to relieve the energy crisis his war helped create, he opens the door for Russia to sell more petroleum on the world market.
Meanwhile, Ukraine is risking the lives of its soldiers to destroy Russia’s oil production and cut off the money financing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war.
And Russia has reportedly been providing Iran with intelligence that could help it target American troops.
Think about the absurdity.
Trump starts a war with Iran. Russia reportedly helps Iran target our troops. Ukraine tries to bankrupt Russia’s war machine. And Trump responds by helping Russian oil reach the world market.
Putin gets another opportunity to earn oil revenue. Ukraine faces an enemy with more money to fight. American troops face threats from an Iran reportedly receiving Russian intelligence. And American consumers are left paying for the consequences.
Trump created an energy problem with one war and now proposes to ease it by helping finance the country waging another.
You couldn’t make this up. And if you did, nobody would believe it.
BOB FINNELL, ROME
Livestreamed execution puts us in enemy camp
So, the Pentagon will execute the Ft. Hood shooter via firing squad in public and will livestream the execution. That puts us in the same “camp” as Iran, North Korea and Afghanistan.
I, for one, do not want to be in that camp. We were once considered a civilized nation. Doing this takes us out of that description. I do not want my tax dollars used this way.
Our country is in trouble, and we are either too stupid to see it or do not care. I am sorry to be an American.
BRUCE GARNER, ATLANTA
It’s time to abolish the death penalty
The recent horribly botched attempt at executing a woman in Tennessee has brought attention to an amoral and ineffective form of justice. Amoral, based on the hypocritical stance that “murder is wrong,” so we’re going to kill you.
While the family of a murder victim might feel justice has been served by executing the convicted killer, the death penalty has been proven to be an ineffective deterrent to capital crime. And DNA testing of evidence exonerating wrongfully convicted people on death row is now common.
So, even putting aside the moral question of “an eye for an eye” punishment and lack of deterrence, there is no “do-over” when the wrong person is executed. Life without parole is the logical alternative.
FRANK MANFRE, SMYRNA