Letters for March 5: Mourning American soldiers lost so far in Iran war - The Virginian-Pilot

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Trinity Audioplayer ready...#### Six soldiers

Just a few days ago, six American soldiers (never to be called by me as “warfighters”) were alive. I do mourn that they are no longer on this Earth, but I also think about those six families. I too often think about the more than 58,000 soldiers that are on Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. I also think about the families of each of those who perished. I know for a fact that there are thousands of those families that lost a loved one in the Vietnam War that wonder if their loved one was lost in vain.

I cannot help but wonder if those six American families that just lost a loved one think and feel that their loved one was taken unnecessarily.

There will likely be dozens more Americans lost, but why?

Maury Neville, Chesapeake

Iran

Once again, our hapless senators are roaring their disapproval of the Iranian operation. Sen. Tim Kaine’s oratory is expected; he hates anything President Donald Trump does. Sen. Mark Warner is just out of his league. As vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Warner is expected to digest the long-term effects of the terror Iran has committed around the world. He should have been saturated with intelligence concerning Iran’s actions that have killed hundreds of Americans and Israelis.

Kaine and Warner are all about process. Warner argues that we were on the brink of some sort of peace deal. He should know better. Iran has never agreed to anything that would even remotely take down its ambitions for a nuclear bomb. What we did in Iran was not an act of aggression comparable, as some would argue, to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war to steal land from Ukraine. What was done will result in what about 75-90% of Iranians want; for example, being able to protest without having more than 30,000 people slaughtered by their government. Kaine argues the military strikes are illegal. They are not, and he should know better.

Jon Palmer, Williamsburg

America first?

I have one question. What happened to “America first” and no more endless Middle East wars?

Without provocation, not only have we attacked Iran, but we have killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Now we have the potential for a holy war. Shia Muslims may now target Americans. There is no winning a holy war; it will be endless.

Paul Haveles, Virginia Beach

Stephen Miller

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller was born into a liberal family. But as a teen, he claimed that he had an epiphany upon reading “Guns, Crimes and Freedom,” by former NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre. This was to prove fateful for him and, in fact, for our entire country.

Later in life, Miller composed President Donald Trump’s first-term inaugural speech, as well as several State of the Union addresses. He went on to become the prime architect of Trump’s most controversial immigration policies, including the “Muslim ban” travel restriction and the horrifying family separation policy applied to immigrants at the U.S.-Mexico border.

During Trump’s second term, he has led the push for ICE recruitment. He also led the drive to deploy federal agents into major U.S. cities.

He conducts his 10 a.m. conference calls as if he were a wartime general, barking orders. His job title is deputy chief of staff for policy, and as such has never needed Senate confirmation.

The good news, insofar as there is any, is that Miller’s mass immigrant deportation policy is so extreme that it has backfired on him. Not many American’s sensibilities can abide ICE killing innocent citizens, wantonly breaking into houses or nabbing 5-year-olds. This is our country in the 21st century?

Stan Pearson, Newport News