F-35 superiority; best for America; be a teacher

F-35 superiority

In the latest episode of the weekly soap opera that is the Trump presidency, the President is flip flopping again about the F-18 and the F-35. He just can’t help bringing drama to an issue that is really pretty cut and dry.

The F-35 is superior to every other fighter ever built and will be the mainstay in our fighter defense program for decades.

Trump is using cost as the main reason for potentially replacing the some F-35 orders with an advanced version of the F-18. That glosses over what is best in providing security for our country and our allies long-term.

Lockheed Martin will continue to bring down cost by building them faster and producing more of them. The F-18 was primarily built for the Navy, while the F-35 can serve all branches of our armed forces. That alone makes it a no-brainer.

Trump needs to listen to military advice and not just think in terms of making a cheap business deal. Aircraft have been designed for different roles going back to WWII. The F-18 can’t be what the F-35 already is, now and in the future.

Best for America

People in America need to look at the voting records of candidates before casting their ballots. If they would do this one thing, then we should have better candidates filling those positions.

Unfortunately, we are currently saddled with those persons in office who lack integrity and do not have the will to do what is best for Americans and not what benefits the lobbyists.

There are three things that I would do if I could. One would be term limits for all politicians.

Another would be to disallow lobbyists from making any gifts or providing trips to politicians.

And I would require that corporations follow the same rules and regulations as people.

We have a country that is the envy of a lot others. Yet, we fail to see that the U.S. is the only industrialized country that does not provide free healthcare for its citizens and that the life expectancy of Americans is not even in the top 20 of nations.

Be a teacher

In response to Leonard Jensen’s Wednesday letter, “Don’t teach,” I would like to say that it is likely because of a teacher he was able to submit a well-written letter.

I have been a teacher for 47 years and, while it’s challenging, I can think of nothing more rewarding than instilling the love for learning in our youth and watching as they “get it.”

My financial adviser repeatedly tells me the Teacher Retirement System is second only to Exxon. And since, over the years, I worked other jobs that contributed to Social Security, I get a check every month.

Instead of avoiding the profession, make your voices heard in Austin. This is especially crucial now, as our legislators are proposing detrimental changes to TRS.

Meanwhile, if you love working with young people and want a job that presents new and exciting challenges every day, be a teacher. Teachers affect eternity. You never know where your influence stops.

This story was originally published February 23, 2017 at 4:23 PM with the headline "F-35 superiority; best for America; be a teacher."