Speak Out

The Oxford Tennis Center has been named one of the Top 50 USTA Tennis Welcome Centers in the United States.

Who would have "thunk" it — especially, when there are more than 2,100 Tennis Welcome Centers to choose from nationwide?

It was obviously not due to the facility itself — eight worn, poorly-lit, hard courts.

The actual recipient is a veteran, friendly caretaker by the name of Bill Beck.

Bill is usually at the courts teaching lessons, arranging matches, giving advice, assigning courts to the numerous year-around USTA adult league teams, junior team matches and high school matches (in season).

Bill is often found giving information to "walk-ons" looking for a game, promoting tennis as a lifetime sport to the children and as a "fitness" sport for everyone, and trying to reserve the "shady" court for the "old-timer regulars."

He also dreams of a first-class tennis facility like those at Auburn, Decatur, Dothan and Pelham and would like to have a little more time to play himself while making sure everyone else is being served.

A million thanks, Bill! The award is richly deserved.

W. Red Wilder
USTA Local Leagues Coordinator
Jacksonville

Return citizen soldiers

The U.S. military has evolved into an elite killing machine. The media continues to expose scandals and embarrassments. The mismanagement of nuclear weapons, loss of sensitive materials, information security violations, medical failures and barracks problems demonstrate the military is stressed and unable to manage itself.

There is a leadership vacuum in America's professional military where failure is rewarded, mistakes are covered up and "green zone" comfort displaces effort. The public is mystified and embarrassed over these failures in the most basic of military management standards.

History will prove the "all-volunteer Army" and elimination of the need for every citizen to serve was a monumental mistake, a blunder that will sink our way of life. A well-funded, organized and trained military force is essential for our national survival. Every citizen has an absolute obligation to serve and support our mutual defense. Mandatory military service assembles a cross-section of society and a universal pool of leaders without inhibited personalities or the tunnel vision inherent to the volunteer force.

True freedom demands a return to citizen soldiers where all able-bodied persons serve and merit rules over greed. Those who do not defend their own freedom soon lose respect for the values and symbols of a free society. They are ignorant of the Pledge of Allegiance, proper respect for the flag and how to act at the playing of the Star Spangled Banner. Plus, the military misses the heart, soul and leadership of the generic society.

William O. Noles
Major, USA, Retired
Jacksonville

Government support

Re "Perfect logic?" (Speak Out, June 6):

Letter writer Eric Luna speaks about logic when he apparently does not understand the concept. Many of his statements are contradictory to logical thought and only make sense if you let emotion overrule common sense.

The first being his suggestion to read Scott McClellan's book, because McClellan has "honor." What is honorable about writing a sour-grapes tell-all book that has been discredited by everyone who knows him? Honor would have compelled him to resign when he began to disagree with the administration. The truth is that McClellan was fired from his job because he was not good at it and has been unemployed ever since. The liberal print media has a demand for anti-Bush material of any kind, so McClellan is only cashing in.

The second issue is his not understanding why many liberal Democratic ideas are considered "socialist." When the government takes money from people who earn it and redistributes that money to non-producers, it is socialist. The United States at one time was a nation of can-do individuals who got up and went to work every day to improve the lives of themselves and their families.

When President Roosevelt came up with social welfare programs during the Depression, it can be argued that they were necessary to revive the economy and to assist the needy. I agree that is accurate to a degree, but the cynic in me also sees that the Democrats have expanded on those programs to make a large segment of the population dependent on the government for its livelihood. Read another way, this is called vote buying. Also, if Luna and his compadre P.J. Miller want to live in a government-controlled paradise, there are several places I can advise they go. China, Cuba and Vietnam may be to their liking.

Don Thornton
Ohatchee