The Few, the Proud ... the Muffled

Re “Marine Lands in Film, Collides With Superiors,” Aug. 2: How appalling that Lt. Col. Stephen Kay of the Marine Corps has such a lack of understanding of the 1st Amendment to suggest that Lt. Josh Rushing would silence his wife, Paige, from making comments about the film “Control Room.” It is unfortunate enough that the Marines are pulling the plug on Rushing, but the last time I checked, the military has no authority to tell private citizens what they can and can’t say.

Heaven forbid that a Marine not share the opinions of his superiors or Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. If our government were at all interested in understanding the Arab or Iraqi culture, it would encourage people like Rushing rather than discourage them, or worse, silence them.

David Coulson

Deep Gap, N.C.

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Even as I watched “Control Room,” I felt that Rushing would be silenced. He didn’t criticize the war; he didn’t give “comfort to the enemy.” But his thoughtful answers to questions revealed his understanding of life’s complexities, that he was OK with them and wanted to work through them with others. With a dual degree in classics and ancient history, Rushing was a perfect spokesman for the U.S. Central Command, but not for an administration for which the world is friend or foe, with us or against us.

Damiana Chavez

Los Angeles