Readers React: Missile test shows we can still destroy the world

To the editor: This past weekend, reports of a very bright light in the sky came in from all over Southern California. Turns out it was an inert Trident II ballistic missile launched from a submarine off the coast of Los Angeles. (“Mystery light above L.A. brings fear, anger and questions,” Nov. 8)

The missile, when armed, can carry multiple nuclear warheads with enough yield to destroy a city the size of San Diego several times over. The U.S. currently has 14 Trident ballistic missile submarines, each of which can carry 24 missiles, giving our submarine fleet the capacity to destroy thousands of cities and military facilities.

Boy, does that make me feel secure.

Meanwhile, my wife’s monthly health insurance payment has just gone up to an amount that’s one-third of my monthly Social Security retirement check.

And by the way, the Russians and the Chinese were not given advance notice of the launch; Americans were also left clueless — but we got the invoice.

Stan Zubel, San Diego

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