Letters to the editor

Let’s railroad this thing

Recently a letter writer questioned why there is no rail service from Asheville to eastern North Carolina. I also wonder. My parents live on the coast of North Carolina, which unfortunately is a nine-hour car drive from here. There used to be bus service, but now that schedule has been butchered by a lengthy layover in Raleigh. Airline flights are costly and unrealistic because of the small airports being flown into and out of.

I remember a few years ago there was talk of a [train] depot in Asheville. Also, I believe rights-of-way have been purchased for rail service into and out of Asheville to the eastern part of the state. What happened? Is this true? If so, why don’t we have the service? The Hendersonville Times-News never mentions rail service, and the Mountain Xpress news coverage, unfortunately, is not as consistent as its entertainment coverage. Could someone out there tell us what we need to do to get the rail service?

– Kathy Kyle

Hendersonville

Bring back world diplomacy

My wife and I just finished watching the film World Trade Center, and it sadly reminded me [of] what President Bush and his supporters did to the tremendous worldwide support our country had after 9/11. Terrorism was by far enemy number one, and the majority of the world was certainly on board with the ramifications of this new era of warfare. As we are now all aware, terrorism, and its threat, have become more global, and have certainly become worse than any time in history. Our traditional allies are afraid to help us because of the political ramifications feared by their leaders if they choose to support our war efforts in Iraq. And maybe even worse, we have given the people of the Middle East the ammunition to spread anti-American sentiment to millions more in the area. We are simply more unpopular in the world today than [at] any time that I can recollect.

The bipartisan and conservative-leaning Iraq Study Group, which released their final report with 79 recommendations for an immediate change in Iraq, has recognized our need to return to diplomacy. Here are three important considerations from that group:

1) Iraq’s neighbors — including Iran and Syria — have more influence inside Iraq than any other country including the United States. We need to talk with them to calm things inside Iraq.

2) Diplomacy — even talking with enemies — used to be the way things were done. We talked with the U.S.S.R. during the Cold War. We talked with China.

3) The Iraq Study Group was a conservative-leaning panel. None of the commissioners and none of the people advising them opposed the invasion of Iraq. That makes their diplomacy recommendations all the more impressive.

It’s time to urge our leaders to bring a worldwide influence back into the picture. The serious issues we are facing today, from terrorism to global warming, are becoming worse by the day. It should be clear that America couldn’t solve these problems on its own. It’s time to bring back a new diplomatic effort, starting now.

– Michael Simon

Asheville

A global-cooling resolution

It’s been an interesting year for folks who eat.

We started the year in the grip of a bird-flu pandemic scare. Originating in Asian chicken factories, the disease still threatens to kill tens of millions.

In April, the Chicago City Council banned the sale of cruelly produced foie gras, setting an important precedent for other cities.

All through the year, a dozen scientific reports linked meat and dairy consumption with elevated risk of colon, stomach, pancreatic, prostate, breast and ovarian cancers. A dozen more linked it with obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure. …

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations reported [in November] that meat and dairy production accounts for 18 percent of all [CO2-equivalent] greenhouse gas [emissions]. It is also [a] governing factor in water pollution, water use and land degradation.

There is a definite pattern here. It may be time to explore the rich variety of veggie [products] (burgers, dogs, deli slices, heat-and-eat dinners and soy-based milk, cheese and ice cream) in our local supermarket, as well as the more traditional fare of vegetables, nuts, grains and fruits. Did I mention that it makes for a delicious, easy-to-keep new year’s resolution?

– Albert Bowers

Asheville