Controversy Over Quayle’s Nomination
This letter concerns your front-page story on Quayle’s speech to the VFW.
The shallowness and lack of understanding of his deeds should be obvious to any reader, but especially to veterans who have experienced combat.
For him to compare his last 72 hours (“My National Guard unit was never called up to active duty, but after the last 72 hours no one can say I never faced combat”) is an absolutely appalling admission of a callousness and insensitivity unheard of by any candidate for such a high office. It is an odious comparison. He should be made to visit a veterans hospital to see what the results of “real combat” are like. He should be made to spend some time with those who have faced “real combat”--maybe then he wouldn’t be so willing to further the cause of war. Maybe then he would use his formidable resources to further the cause of peace.
I only hope this man fades from the scene as quickly as he entered it. He, like Oliver North and John Poindexter, is not a true patriot. They have no concept of the meaning of the word.
STAN BERMANN
Venice
The Times received 429 letters on Quayle’s nomination; 294 were critical of his nomination, 112 supported him, and 23 took no stand.
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