Letters on women in combat, police chief, Coach Snyder, Garth Brooks beer bar

Women shouldn’t be in all combat roles

My sister is retired Navy. I served in the Army. We both grew up with five brothers, and our dad was a World War II veteran to boot. So we know about the military and men, and we think Defense Secretary Ash Carter’s opening of all combat roles to women is a mistake (Dec. 4 Eagle).

Although women are qualified to do any number of jobs in the military, they have no business on the front lines of active combat. Yes, we’re smart. Yes, we are strong – but we are not as strong as men and we never will be.

The Marine Corps did a study of 300 volunteers and it showed that women – no matter how strong they are – get injured at twice the rate that men do while serving in combat roles. But the defense secretary ignored those findings and told the Marines they will open all roles to women anyway.

What is the military for? To make sure women rise quickly through the ranks, or to defend this country in war?

Sure, countries such as Israel have had women on the front lines for years, but it is a country of 8 million and has little choice. We are a country of 321 million – enough people to make sure only the very best and strongest serve on the front lines.

Snyder a class act

I believe Kansas State University head football coach Bill Snyder would appreciate the following statement about his extraordinary coaching career even more than being inducted in the College Football Hall of Fame (Dec. 8 Sports): Coach Snyder is a college sports role model for the ages.

Snyder is class act, and K-State has been the benefactor.

Wrong ‘skill set’?

Wichita City Manager Robert Layton said that Terri Moses didn’t have the right “skill set” to be Wichita police chief (Dec. 5 Eagle). What the heck?

She was with the Wichita Police Department for as long as I can remember, knows the town, knows the layout, knows what goes on.

Am I the only one who thinks that, once again, this is the good old boys discounting a woman as head of a very important group in our city? Sad, sad, sad.

Poor concert manners

I had the honor of going to see Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood at Thursday’s first show. They were very entertaining and did not let the audience down.

But the concert was like a big beer bar. Where my husband and I were sitting, the kids next to us had to get out every time their beers were gone. That meant my husband and I had to get out of our chairs, and we both have bad knees due to arthritis. As soon as we got back in our chairs, someone else wanted out. Then the people in front of us stood up so we could not see the concert.

I ended up standing in the hall to watch the concert. That was not a very nice thing to have to do for the price of the tickets. I did not get to see much of the show.

This story was originally published December 8, 2015 at 6:05 PM with the headline "Letters on women in combat, police chief, Coach Snyder, Garth Brooks beer bar."