MMovingoving aadvicedvice ffromrom aann eexpert.xpert. — PPageage 6 ((AA ddiveriver pphotographshotographs a WorldWorld WWarar IIII airplaneairplane thatthat restsrests onon tthehe ooceancean fl ooor.or. FForor mmoreore oonn tthehe wwrecksrecks iinn KKwajaleinwajalein wwatersaters sseeee PPageage 44.. ) ((PhotoPhoto ccourtesyourtesy ooff TTomom KKrasuski)rasuski) www.smdc.army.mil/KWAJ/Hourglass/hourglass.html Commentary Our parents were wrong, monsters do exist Do you remember when you were What American citizens need protec- a youngster and you’d have a night- tion more than our children? mare, how your parents would say Congress needs to pass a law making there was no such thing as monsters? it a federal crime to commit an act of Well, our dear moms and dads sexual molestation against a child with were wrong. a mandatory life sentence with no pos- There are indeed monsters and sibility of parole. The president needs to they walk the streets of American sign such a bill and the courts need to small towns and large cities. uphold it. End of story. If you don’t believe it, then you Some lawyers and judges have haven’t heard the news of 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford who distorted the constitution to protect criminals long enough was raped and murdered in Florida a few months ago or and it’s time Americans take it back and make it work for the the more recent news of 8-year-old Shasta Groene and her good it was intended. I’m sure the great men who wrote our brother Dylan, who is probably dead, in Idaho. constitution didn’t mean it to protect child killers. These children were abducted and sexually assaulted by How many more stories will we hear of yet another child men who had histories for the same type of crime dating being abused and killed by yet another repeat offender our back decades. so-called justice system has put back on the street before Those “men” had been in and out of prison most of their something is done? worthless lives and they were out yet again to commit the I don’t know all of the statistics, but I hear that most horrible acts against innocent little ones. crimes of this nature are committed by someone who has When I see and hear stories such as this, it bring tears to done it before and has been in prison and released. my eyes and rage to my heart. There is a push to start a national registry of sex offend- And the question I ask is why does this keep happening. ers so parents and communities will know if such a person How many times do innocent children have to suffer and is among them. That’s ridiculous. The only place sex offend- be murdered before our government acts to protect them. ers (especially against children) should be is in prison until I don’t really care why these people do what they do. I the day they die. don’t give a damn if they had tough lives. I don’t care about We have a congress that called a special session and the psycho babble used to explain their actions. passed a bill on behalf of a single individual and a president Other people have had tough lives but they don’t go out who fl ew from Texas to Washington D.C. to sign it. Surely and molest and kill children. they can do something on behalf of the thousands of chil- Monsters who are capable of committing such terrible dren who have suffered at the hands of these monsters. crimes are not going to be rehabilitated or cured. Americans have a short attention span. We stay outraged How many times have you heard some pompous psychia- for a few days and then forget it. We can’t forget this. We trist say that a criminal was “cured” and no longer a threat, have to make our voices heard and demand the govern- only to have the “cured” criminal commit another horrible ment do its job. Only then will there be the slightest chance act against an innocent person. that children might be safe from sexual predators. The president says that the most important job the gov- What could be more important than the welfare and ernment has is to protect American citizens. safety of the most innocent among us? The Kwajalein AFN Kwajalein Hourglass new radio lineup Commanding Offi cer...COL Beverly Stipe Marshallese Word Acting Public Affairs Offi cer..Polli Keller Editor...............................Nell Drumheller of the Day Assistant Editor......................Mig Owens Graphics Designer....................Dan Adler jete - how many Reporter............................Elizabeth Davie Circulation........................Will O'Connell Classifi ed ads The Hourglass is named for the insignia of the U.S. Army 7th Infantry Division, which liberated the island from the forces of are due for Wednesday’s paper by noon, Imperial Japan on Feb 4, 1944. Saturday and for Saturday’s paper by The Kwajalein Hourglass is an authorized publication for FM 99.9 Country military personnel, federal employees, contractor workers and their noon,Thursday. Limit ads to 50 words. families assigned to USAKA. Contents of the Hourglass are not FM 101.1 Classic rock necessarily offi cial views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, FM 102.1 National Public Radio Department of Defense, Department of the Army or USAKA. It is published Wednesdays and Saturdays in accordance with Army AM 1224 Music, sports, news The Hourglass apologizes for having the Regulation 360-1 and using a network printer by Kwajalein Range For complete listings go to: incorrect movie listed for Sunday Services editorial staff, P.O. Box 23, APO AP 96555. Phone: Autovon 254-3539; local 53539. http:/intranet/com/entertainment/afn_radio night. We regret any inconvenience. Printed circulation: 2,000 The Kwajalein Hourglass 2 Saturday, July 9, 2005 Rest, relaxation, family Iraq War veteran takes a breather By Nell M. Drumheller Since returning to Kwajalein Tracy said he has been Editor confronted by people who compare Iraq to Vietnam. He is adamant in his response. “It’s not Vietnam,” he in- “I’m here and I’m thinking ‘is this a dream?’” Warrant sisted. He compared the battles in Vietnam where U.S. Offi cer Mike Tracy asked earnestly. servicemembers would take a hill, only to have it overrun After spending close to half a year in Iraq, the Hawaii a few days later. In Iraq, he said the people have “their Army National Guardsman is home on Kwajalein visiting fi rst chance to vote, to support themselves and have his wife Lisa and two children, Ryan, 14, and Christine, businesses. They are not under a dictatorship.” 12, for his mid-tour rest and relaxation break. He admits that the insurgents are becoming more Tracy is a Quality Assurance Analyst with Kwajalein sophisticated. But says that the Iraqi people are mak- Range Service and has been a member of the Guard for ing a stand. “Some small villages won’t tolerate the in- nine years. This is his fi rst combat deployment. surgents. I believe that eventually the county is going In Iraq Tracy is a Battalion to realize that they don’t have to Maintenance Offi cer with his accept the insurgents.” unit the 29th Brigade Combat U.S. servicemembers in Iraq Team. The unit is stationed are a combination of active at Camp Anaconda, Balad, duty, Reserve and Guard forces. approximately 68 kilometers “The Reserves have changed,” north of Baghdad. Tracy said. “We do deploy. We “It’s surreal,” Tracy said do the same things that the of adjusting to living in Iraq active duty [servicemembers] and being under fi re. “First does,” he added. Active duty you heard the rockets and and reservists are working mortars. We were nervous,” together according to Tracy. he admitted. But time and Tracy said that the mix of ac- the repetitiveness of the con- tive duty troops who are often stant fi re made the attacks younger than the reservists, seem commonplace. In time with the Guard and Reserve he learned to wait for the all contingents is working well. clear. “We get on our radios, He said that more than 40 per- fi nd out what’s going on and cent of the in-country Soldiers get back to work,” he said. are reserve and guard troops. It became routine, “a very “Reservists use their non-Army different kind of normal,” skills to help the community,” Tracy said while adding that he said. He gave examples he was always on edge, always such as a reservist who is a alert. The work is never ending tank mechanic in the Army according to Tracy, who said but and electrical engineer in that he was on the job every- civilian life; the combination of day. The state of alert stayed skills and experience add to the with him on his fl ight back Warrant Offi cer Mike Tracy checks to see how much effectiveness of the individual home, “I came off the airplane son Ryan has grown in his absence as daughter and his value within the Camp and was still on edge, intense. Christine looks on. Tracy has been deployed to Iraq Anaconda community. The fi rst couple of days I’d since Jan. 16. He will depart July 16 to return to Iraq Tracy said that the Soldiers think, ‘where’s my weapon,’” to complete his deployment. in the 29th went to Iraq think- he said, while patting his hip ing they would be transporting where he carried a 9 mm pistol in Iraq.