Shooting the war

“Draft Hollywood,” Andrew Klavan’s bellicose article (Current, May 7), cites the need for wisdom yet immediately lurches to find the “simple truth.”

In his simplicity, Klavan melds together the military actions in Afghanistan and Iraq, conveniently ignoring the substantial difference. One (Afghanistan) was a legitimate response to an attack; the other (Iraq) was a fabricated war of choice and aggression. Moreover, in his war fever, he seems to be recklessly gung-ho to attack Iran without regard to cost and consequence. Perhaps the war movies that Klavan so atavistically desires should be shot in black and white so as to reflect the “simple truth” of his brutish views.

DENIS H. LANGHANS

Olympia, Wash.

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Klavan takes the film industry to task for failing to produce “films celebrating the war against Islamo-fascism in Afghanistan and Iraq,” such as the jingoistic films from the World War II era. Many of us who lived through that era are quite capable of distinguishing that war of necessity and its credible political leaders from the present wretched war of choice in Iraq and the political leaders whose deception got us into it. It would hardly seem a war to celebrate.

Because Klavan seems to feel that the sacrifice of lives in Iraq is not only warranted but righteous, I assume he has made every effort to join those now in combat there, if his age permits.

If, alas, his age keeps him safely out of harm’s way, I assume he has encouraged his younger loved ones to volunteer to die in this noble cause.

JAMES K. KNOWLES

Sierra Madre

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Klavan is right. America faces an enemy that is as evil as Hitler. Like Hitler, the Islamic fundamentalists want to purify the world by killing Jews, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists and anyone else who isn’t an Islamic fundamentalist.

Sadly, our multiethnic, religiously diverse soldiers who are fighting to protect our freedoms are snubbed by Hollywood. We don’t need any more movies featuring antiheroes who take potshots at imagined American imperialism. We need heroes to give us courage in the face of evil, to inspire us when it seems hopeless -- and to place balm on our wounded hearts when another soldier valiantly dies to protect our way of life (and Hollywood’s right to make movies).

HELEN TACKETT

Fullerton