The Viet Nam Situation

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Sir: It is becoming increasingly difficult for me to comprehend the mountain of abuse heaped on those who oppose the war in Viet Nam. I wonder what it is we are fighting for here if it is not to preserve the right to dissent. It is far more important for the people of the U.S. to be sure that, as a result of this war, we are providing for the Vietnamese the full benefits of democracy, than it is to be sending cookies and writing letters to the accompaniment of highly chauvinistic demands for unanimity of opinion. We have not declared war on North Viet Nam, and until we do, anyone in the U.S. is within his rights to express any opinion he wishes without fear of retribution, and without fear of being branded a traitor. Most people here in Viet Nam know what they are fighting for, and no amount of controversy in the U.S. will have much effect on them.

PETER G. BOURNE Captain, Medical Corps, U.S.A. Viet Nam

Sir: Letters from the Martin O'Briens [Dec. 24] of our country infuriate me. I don't deny the right of dissent to the Vietniks, the pacifists, or any responsible person. But the dissenters' reasoning as expressed by young "men" like Mr. O'Brien can border on the absurd. He cites his "sacrifices" to gain an education. Many young people, and even old people, have made the same sacrifices. Most, thank God, gain maturity and a sense of responsibility along the way. But for the grace of all the men who have served in peace and in war since 1776, young Mr. O'Brien might not have had the opportunity to make his sacrifices. The Viet Cong cannot emasculate Mr. O'Brien; he has done it himself. If his selfish kind should prevail, we would all eventually lose everything. (MRS.) MARGUERITE P. GALE Lansdowne, Pa.

Sir: I am disturbed at the series of letters by cry babies who feel that a few years devoted to the defense of this great country is too great a task to undertake. To Mr. O'Brien, I can testify that I too attended college while working 48 hours a week—after I got my Purple Heart. There are thousands like me who made financial sacrifices to serve, and if this country needs a 36-year-old overweight paratrooper tomorrow, I shall be more than happy to defend Mr. O'Brien's pet store, regardless of where it is located.

ROBERT FOUTTS Compton, Calif.

Drop That Cool

Sir: I am one of today's "alienated" youth. Your Essay "On Not Losing One's Cool About the Young" [Dec. 24] deeply disturbs me, for I feel that it does no more than add to the already heavy strain of mass misinterpretation regarding my peer group. We are not the impulsive, irrational, rebellious youth you describe. We are the hope of a society racked by changing moral standards, breakdowns of age-old prejudices, and adults who cannot or will not bend to accommodate to new situations. Naturally we are going to make mistakes, for the answers are not in past history but in the billowing clouds of the future. My advice to the adult world is: Drop your cool and read the signs clearly. We aren't searching for kicks. We're looking for answers to the problems bequeathed to us by you.

MARILYN CHADWICK College Park, Md.