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Cast Votes Carefully

The source of all evil in the country today is the Legislative Yuan ("Defense ministry preparing for the worst," July 27, page 3).

Open up today's Web sites and papers and look at all the sickness of the nation. One would think laws would have been introduced to cure many of its ailments, or at least attempt to.

Take, for instance, the mistakes of the representative office in London. Laws should have been made to plug the holes in their procedures and weed out those foreign ministry officials who do not have the nation's best interests at heart.

For military officers, laws should be made to curb their abuses of power and position. With criminals more rampant and desperate than ever, one would think legislators would be busy drafting bills for crime prevention and control.

Last but certainly not least is the country's defensive capability -- not just to fight, but to win. Some suggest the nation would have only two days' supply of ammunition if it came to an all-out confrontation with China. One would think the legislators would feel some urgency to pass the arms purchase bill. Or, if they disagree with that priority, perhaps they could come up with a sensible alternative.

But alas, the legislators can do nothing better than bicker about election matters that are out of their hands, or argue about which way to look at a map of the country.

Voters would be wise to remember this when they go to the polls in December. They shouldn't just cast their ballot for some familiar face or old acquaintance, or vote a certain way because they've been paid to or because that's what they've been told to do. They should look at the voting records of individuals and the party they represent. They must remember they have their nation's fate and the fate of their children in their hands.

Chen Ming-chung
Chicago, Illinois

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