Americans do not tolerate ultimatums
Re: “Islamists are demanding exemption from all critiques,” Sept. 12
So Islamists are telling Americans: “My way or the highway”? Since when did we put up with that?
Imagine foreigners demanding that their football players not be tackled or a foreign baseball team demanding 10 outs in an inning or else they will beat up the fans. Do you seriously believe they would be allowed to leave the arena intact? When you play the game, you play by the rules.
Surely no one in this country believes that football or baseball is more sacred than the Constitution. Just as a responsible parent would not tolerate an ultimatum from a misbehaving brat, neither should Americans tolerate the same from those who are undeniably aggressive to our culture.
Ben Arnold
Centreville
Chance to regulate abortion clinics missed
Re: “Del. Marshall a common thread in recent attorney general opinions,” Sept. 12
The Examiner reported that Del. Patrick Hope, D-Arlington, was quite critical of Del. Bob Marshall, R-Manassas, for circumventing the General Assembly and asking the Virginia attorney general whether Virginia had the authority to regulate abortion clinics to make them safe for women. The AG said it did.
The Virginia legislature has repeatedly rejected measures to make abortion clinics safe. Hope said Marshall’s action “makes our legislative branch weaker.” But his criticism begs the question: Why won’t the General Assembly pass laws to make abortion clinics safer for women? Are members so deep in the pockets of the abortion industry that they are willing to risk women’s lives?
William Luksic
Rockville
Veterans hurt most by vehicle repair restrictions
The American Military Society — a membership organization for active, reserve, retired and National Guard veterans, their families and survivors — asks Congress to pass the Motor Vehicle Owners’ Right to Repair Act. We believe car owners should have access to information from vehicle manufacturers and the right to choose where, how and by whom their cars and other motor vehicles are repaired.
However, this is not the case. Local, independent repair facilities are denied full access to computer codes and other service information. This makes as little sense as selling prescription drugs without the doctor’s dosing instructions.
Military personnel are often stationed in remote locations, far from any dealerships. Spouses of deployed service members are particularly disadvantaged when close, convenient repair shops cannot obtain access to data needed to make car repairs. With cars becoming more complicated and record numbers of dealerships now closed, the problem has become even more acute.
Col. Charles C. Partridge (U.S. Army-Retired)
American Military Society
