What is Sand? That by which any other kind would work as well.

RE: Iraq: The Wrong Type of Sand (31 March 2010)

To the Editor,

It is amazing to me that often times people are so set in their ways that they cannot see any other possibilities. The article discussed American troops importing sand from the United Arab Emirates and Qatar to Iraq in order to build "proper" blast walls. First off, if things were going as well as the military says, why are more walls and defensive structures being built? Instead, that time and energy should be put to other uses such as focusing on schools and building up Iraq again as an independently stable state. Second, the military personnel that was interviewed stated that "standards" needed to be met. What and who created those standards? They are arbitrary and the geological landscape should not be altered to fit them. If anything, scientists should use their degrees and help to figure out a blast wall structure that uses the native soil. In all, it is mostly the American taxpayer's money that is going towards shipping dirt and paying for tariffs. With everything else in the economy decreasing in value, I think there needs to be a serious reconsideration of what is the most logical actions.

Kellye Tamura
1 April 2010
Greeley, Colo.