Web Letters: North Korea Rocket Stirs Hawks

"North Korea has launched a rocket into the Pacific Ocean" is certainly a curious way to start this article. North Korea launched, or attempted to launch, depending on who you believe, a communications satellite into orbit. They did not "launch a rocket into the Pacific Ocean," although of course, as with any multi-stage rocket, stages of the rocket did indeed fall into the ocean.

If President Obama is serious about nuclear weapons, he could prove it with a simple statement: "I am today announcing the elimination of 1,000 nuclear weapons from our stockpile, and I invite Russia to respond in kind. When they do so, I fully expect to announce yet another cut, and again invite them to respond in kind."

Actions speak louder than words.

Eli Stephens
Left I on the News

Cupertino, CA

Perhaps Newt Gingrich was overly hawkish in his suggestion that we should have stopped North Korea from launching the missile by any means. But the real "lunatic" idea is the notion that the United States (or any country or group of countries) is able to verifiably remove nuclear weapons. We should do all we can to contain further proliferation, but we have to accept the reality that they're here to stay. Do you honestly believe that we are going to completely eliminate our own stockpile? Lunacy.

Ted Mayle

Alexandria, VA