Opinion - Letters to the Editor

POSTED: Saturday, Jun. 27, 2009

Says military should offer soldiers a way out

I have read with interest the many editorials regarding Bellingham being a sanctuary for soldiers. This topic has obviously struck a chord with many people both for and against the idea. The question I have is with the idea that any company would have a contract so inflexible that a person would have to go to extremes to get out of it: running away, prison, feigning homosexuality, suicide?

Many of us have trained for a variety of different jobs/careers in our lifetime. When the reality of the job does not match our initial perception we are free to quit without fear of reprisal. We all know what it is like to work with people who are not happy in their job and often wish they would find other work

I would like to see the military find other alternatives to offer our soldiers who have discovered that the military is not what they thought it would be. I would like to see our high school students made fully aware of the consequences of a military career choice when they are approached by recruiters.

Perhaps a few contract changes within the military might make the issue of a sanctuary city unnecessary.

Becky Klein

Bellingham