I was very upset with the March 26 Columbian story “U.S. pays massacre victims’ families.” A “shooting rampage allegedly” is just that — alleged. Until it was proven, then those words in the headlines should not be used. And the most important offending statement was that these people in Afghanistan were told the money came from President Barack Obama. I don’t care about the relationship between the two countries but to insinuate that Obama went into his own pockets and gave these people money is ridiculous.
The two “U.S. officials” noted in the story should be identified and have a duty to the American people to disclose the exact amounts that were paid to each family and why — since we, the American people, are ultimately the ones paying for these settlements.
If the families of the dead would rather have the perpetrator punished than money, then give the money back. How many Americans are compensated by foreign governments when they are attacked and killed?
Peggy Van Horn
Vancouver
