PECOS ENTERPRISE

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Opinion

May 21, 1997

ALL THINGS
CONSIDERED


By
Cara Alligood

Acting dishonorably
not best way to go


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Media attention the past few days has focused on Kelly Flinn, an Air
Force Lieutenant who set herself up for a military court martial (trial)
on charges of adultery, lying and not following a direct command. In an
interview I saw on a morning news show the other day with Flinn and her
civilian attorney, they said an enlisted man convinced her it would be
okay for the two of them to have a relationship. His wife had kicked him
out of their house, according to her lawyer, Frank Spinner. The man told
Flinn that he and his wife were legally separated, making Flinn's
relationship with him acceptable, she said. Flinn said the man told her
he had been an Air Force legal clerk for at least a year, so she
believed him and allowed him to move in with her.

Flinn's attorney stated that he wanted to argue against the military
laws against adultery. Spinner had the gall to suggest that the military
should "catch up" with the civilian world. How in the world can it
possibly be considered progressive to accept amoral, illegal and
dishonest behavior? Not only was the man still legally married, but
enlisted as well, making their relationship a violation of the
fraternization law too. Both of them knew their ranks could cause
trouble for them.

There is no draft now, so nobody forced this young woman into military
service. Certainly in the training she had in becoming an officer, she
was taught the basics of military law, called the Uniform Code of
Military Justice, or UCMJ. She was expected to not only know and follow
the rules, but to be a leader of the enlisted airmen.

I don't know all that much about the way the Air force trains its people
and conducts day-to-day business, but in the Army, our best leaders led
by example. That was true both of our commissioned and non-commissioned
officers.

The most respected leaders wouldn't ask their troops to do something
they wouldn't. That raises two questions about Flinn in my mind.

What kind of example has she set for those she outranks? How can she
expect her subordinates to follow the rules if she won't do so herself?

Granted, this woman is a B-52 pilot, not a squadron commander. However,
if she were allowed to stay in the Air Force, there would be the
possibility of her commanding a number of others someday.

My deadline for this column was noon on Tuesday, so it had to be written
and typed into the computer before that, and something new might come to
light between Tuesday morning and whenever you read this.

However I can't imagine something changing my belief that she doesn't
deserve an honorable discharge for actions which have caused her peers
to receive discharges under other than honorable conditions.

She admits to the adulterous acts, so her morals don't do anything to
prove her to be above lying. We will just have to see what happens with
the court martial proceedings that were set to begin Tuesday morning.

Some people say that you can't legislate morality. But if parents don't
do their jobs and not only teach morals and rules but enforce them as
well, we may have to.

Do we really want to live in a society where it is okay to sleep with
someone else's spouse, lie and ignore all the laws? That sounds a little
like the beginning of anarchy.

Editor's Note: Cara Alligood is an Enterprise writer and advertising
administrator.

YOUR VIEWS

Zoning board should reconsider decision


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Dear Editor:
Once again, when do we the people of Pecos City stand up and say, enough
is enough?

The Pecos Zoning Board of adjustments, this week, rejecting the proposal
bingo hall/arcade room, Rudy Martinez, one of the board members said he
was against the proposal for personal reasons, let me tell you, Rudy
Martinez should leave his personal reasons at home, before coming to the
meeting or any other committee meetings that he belongs to. With that
kind of attitude, he shouldn't seek to be a member of any committee,
because he is not thinking about Pecos possibilities or crossing the
famous bridge into the 21st century, here hopefully he will resign and
let somebody else with a better vision into the future, be let in.

Then Daisy Roquemore, another member of the board said, quote, "Our
children don't have anything to do and no place to go" she said "we say
we care so much for them but we don't have any recreation for them in
town," unquote, did she care to make the first motion, of course not,
she wasn't that interested, I don't know who she tried to impress, she
sure didn't impress me one bit.

Mr. Gary Thomasson, Pecos Autoplex Manager, and Norley Sinott,
representative of Harris Properties said it all by saying that the board
was standing in the way of progress and it was ridiculous, to me the
whole board is ridiculous, because, remember what he also said, these
buildings could all be empty, don't be surprise if they will, sooner
than you expect.

People of Pecos, stand up and be counted, before its too late.

CHEL FLORES
Pecos

YOUR VIEWS

Dunn letter receives numerous responses


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Dear Editor:
I can't adequately describe my astonishment Monday night. I recieved
five telephone calls from people in Pecos who knew my father, Dr. John
Dunn. They were all very kind people who took the time to call me and
share their memories of my father with me. One even offered to send me a
collection of newspaper clippings, if she can find them in her attic.

It never occured to me that you would publish my letter. I want to thank
everyone at the Pecos Enterprise, and all the good people of Pecos for
their responses.

If anyone else would like to contact me, particularly anyone who helped
my father in the investigation, please don't hesitate to call.

JOHN M. DUNN
P.O. Box 1279
North Conway, NH 03860
603-356-9470
Email: VIDWLD1@landmarknet.net


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