Sheriff backs Johnson

RUSSELL L. COUSINS

DUNKERTON - I chose to write a letter to the editor to respond to a letter written by Dean Wishmeyer published Sept. 14.

Mr. Wishmeyer complained about disparaging remarks about Tony Thompson's years of service. He referred to this as Republican tactics and was ashamed. I reviewed many letters published in the past few months and found many that disparaged Capt. Mark Johnson. Would this qualify for the title of Democratic smear tactics?

Let's keep this race civil. Please keep out unfounded accusations.

He, Mr. Wishmeyer, also points to prominent people that back Mr. Thompson, both private and in the sheriff's office. Capt. Mark Johnson also has very prominent private individuals backing him. He also has a very prominent person from the sheriff's office who believes Mark is the best candidate for the job as Black Hawk County sheriff. That person is Sheriff Mike Kubik.

Thompson for sheriff

NICOLE HENNINGER

EVANSDALE - I have had the opportunity to hear both Black Hawk County sheriff candidates speak. I was initially impressed by both, but in the end one theme became very clear. Both candidates speak of the desire to make some necessary changes for the future of the sheriff's office but only one, Tony Thompson, has a plan laid out for how it can be done. Tony Thompson knows what we need.

I am impressed with what Tony Thompson has done for the county over the last 15 years. Yes, his opponent has 32 years under his duty belt, but how has he used that time? Mark Johnson has been the jail administrator for eight years now. He says he is formulating plans to address the jail's problems. If he does have these great ideas, why have they not been implemented already?

Tony Thompson says publicly "If I don't do what I am promising, vote me out in four years. Hold me accountable for my promises." He is in it for the long haul.

Obama will make U.S. safer

LYNN BAKULA

CEDAR FALLS - Will a vote for Barack Obama weaken our military and our national security? As a mother of a Navy man, and a former Air Force man and a daughter-in-law currently serving with the Air Force in Afghanistan, I wanted to find out more.

I attended a National Security Forum at the University of Northern Iowa on Sept. 15 with Sarah Sewall, a Rhodes Scholar and former first deputy assistant secretary for peacekeeping and humanitarian assistance in the Department of Defense, and Richard Danzig, a former secretary of the Navy. Obama got it right when he opposed the war in Iraq and again when he said we need to focus our efforts more in Afghanistan. Time after time he is showing himself to be a leader of vision with respect from world leaders.

Through the experiences of my son and daughter-in-law in various parts of the world with the Air Force, they believe our current policies are fueling the terrorist organizations causing them to grow.

Barack joined the Senate Foreign Relations and Veterans' Affairs Committees. Working with Republican Dick Lugar, he passed a new law to help keep loose nuclear weapons out of the hands of terrorists. On the Veterans' Committee, he worked for legislation improving care for our wounded warriors of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Obama's vision to strengthen America's security is available at www.barackobama.com/issues/defense. Obama and Biden's initiatives on diplomacy and development combined with his defense policies will create a stronger America and a safer world.

On seat-belt law

HERMAN LENZ

SUMNER - Regarding a letter that someone sent to me, with a Courier article from Aug. 21, page A5, "Woman dies in Oklahoma accident": Law enforcement and news reports are sure to always tell us when someone is killed while not seat belted while those who are not killed were seat belted. Study the article carefully. The seat-belted person was on the "other" (noncrash) side of the SUV, so would have a much better chance of survival anyway. But the nonseat-belted victim was in the side impacted (crash side) of the vehicle, and in such a crushed area would have little or no chance of survival whether seat belted or not. This victim was "pinned" in the crushed area, so it was a severe crash.

I personally know of crashes where the occupants were not seat belted and survived with little or no severe injury, but would surely have been killed if they'd been seat belted in such crushed, or burned, or side-impacted, or de-capped, or underwater, or upside-down areas of vehicles, but are then subject to penalty for not getting killed in the crashes.

I challenge the seat-belt zealots to tell us what other enforced traffic law is there where some people survive simply because they snubbed the law?

The seat-belt law zealots will have to actively work for better laws and more enforcement on speed and careless and distracted driving (which cause crashes) before they'll convince me they care about my life or safety.