Where the scenery’s attractive, and the air is radioactive

To the editor:

Maybe my problem is that convicted and unrepentant liars such as Oliver North become pundits and continue to get national airplay as though what they say is wise counsel. His lies to Congress helped funnel arms to Iran; doesn’t that upset all of you who want to attack the people of that country?

Maybe my problem is with the absurdity of the Sept. 2 headline on his column, “The reckless lunacy of Obama’s unilateral disarmament.”

President Obama has enlarged the nuclear weapons and general military budgets to their largest levels in history. He has funded the quadrupling of output of components for nuclear weapons.

New generations of nukes, even if they’re smaller, violate our legal and moral obligation to eliminate these threatening weapons of mass destruction. More accurate delivery systems also violate this goal. I don’t think any amount of military spending will satisfy some people. Then they make all the nurturing programs of government fight over nickels and dimes as though there isn’t any money for life!

Projecting our military makes us less safe because it defends greed, not liberty. How can spending more than $2 billion a day on war be confused with unilateral disarmament? I am for unilateral disarmament. President Obama is not.

JIM HABER

LAS VEGAS

The writer is coordinator for the Nevada Desert Experience, which organizes interfaith resistance to nuclear weapons and war.

To the editor:

So, Richard J. Mundy believes “Nukes not needed”? (letter, Sept. 1.) He believes that no one would “lob nuclear bombs at us” because it “would not only cause serious physical damage to the world, but would destroy the world’s economy”? We’re supposed to trust that the crazy mullahs in Iran don’t want to destroy the world’s economy or cause any serious physical damage?

Tell me, Mr. Mundy, are you willing to bet your life on that? I, and millions of other Americans, are not.

MIKE MURPHY

PAHRUMP