Comments so far on this story:

1. Bob wrote on April 30, 2008 11:39 AM:
"I agree with the writer, and would expand the assessment to instances were the UT (or any rag) includes or needlessly highlights the fact that a military person is involved in something good or charitable. The fact that someone is in the Nmilitary has nothing to do with the charitible act. What is the point of including that information? It isn't pertinent."

2. Citizen wrote on April 30, 2008 12:42 PM:
"Mentioning that someone is in the military is no different from mentioning that they're African American, in their 30's, female, or a firefighter. It's just a demographic. Anyone who's going to default to a stereotype merely due to the mention of such a detail was already bigoted. The letter writer's commentary is much ado about nothing."

3. Mr. T wrote on April 30, 2008 1:49 PM:
"I think it is perfectly reasonable to include this information for a variety of reasons. Military people are often painted as noble, patriotic, selfless, and deserving of praise. Although I will admit that their jobs are quite often not desired by the rest of us, they do recieve many special privileges, and they are also government employees paid by our tax dollars. I do appreciate the job the military does, but I think that a crime by a military person deserves special recognition in the face of this. I would also hope that military wants to know when their own people commits crimes."

4. Mr. T wrote on April 30, 2008 1:49 PM:
"I think it is perfectly reasonable to include this information for a variety of reasons. Military people are often painted as noble, patriotic, selfless, and deserving of praise. Although I will admit that their jobs are quite often not desired by the rest of us, they do recieve many special privileges, and they are also government employees paid by our tax dollars. I do appreciate the job the military does, but I think that a crime by a military person deserves special recognition in the face of this. I would also hope that military wants to know when their own people commits crimes."

5. Mr. T wrote on April 30, 2008 1:49 PM:
"I think it is perfectly reasonable to include this information for a variety of reasons. Military people are often painted as noble, patriotic, selfless, and deserving of praise. Although I will admit that their jobs are quite often not desired by the rest of us, they do recieve many special privileges, and they are also government employees paid by our tax dollars. I do appreciate the job the military does, but I think that a crime by a military person deserves special recognition in the face of this. I would also hope that military wants to know when their own people commits crimes."

6. Mr. T wrote on April 30, 2008 1:49 PM:
"I think it is perfectly reasonable to include this information for a variety of reasons. Military people are often painted as noble, patriotic, selfless, and deserving of praise. Although I will admit that their jobs are quite often not desired by the rest of us, they do recieve many special privileges, and they are also government employees paid by our tax dollars. I do appreciate the job the military does, but I think that a crime by a military person deserves special recognition in the face of this. I would also hope that military wants to know when their own people commits crimes."

7. Mr. T wrote on April 30, 2008 1:49 PM:
"I think it is perfectly reasonable to include this information for a variety of reasons. Military people are often painted as noble, patriotic, selfless, and deserving of praise. Although I will admit that their jobs are quite often not desired by the rest of us, they do recieve many special privileges, and they are also government employees paid by our tax dollars. I do appreciate the job the military does, but I think that a crime by a military person deserves special recognition in the face of this. I would also hope that military wants to know when their own people commits crimes."

8. Billy Bob Henry wrote on April 30, 2008 3:07 PM:
"First off, when crime are covered the race or enthnicity of the person is NEVER stated. The one exception to the UT are PSA announcements where they are seeking fugitives-then the description is listed, which includes race. But race is never identified in a regular article. I agree with the writer, stating a person is from the military is not essential to the article and infers a stereotype.I am surprisd the UT and other papers list it."

9. Dave Cohen wrote on April 30, 2008 4:34 PM:
"BBH: I agree with you that the military angle is irrelevant in this story, but you're wrong about the newspaper NOT using race in news stories. Below is a story from today's SignonSan Diego. 7:15 a.m. April 30, 2008 SAN DIEGO � Police are investigating two armed robberies at businesses in Serra Mesa and Ocean Beach that occurred early Wednesday morning. In the first incident, a man wearing a camouflage baseball hat entered a 7-Eleven store on Sandrock Road at Murray Ridge Road in Serra Mesa around 12:45 a.m., bought two candy bars and left. He returned 10 minutes later with a gun and demanded cash.The man was described as white or Latino, in his 20s, about 5 foot 5 with a thin build and a stubbly beard. He was last seen running away. The clerk was not hurt."

10. Billy Bob Henry wrote on April 30, 2008 6:33 PM:
"Dave, the only reason race is listed in your example article is because the police need to ID the perpetrator, and to warn the public to be on the look out for this person. So it is pretty much meets the exception to the rule I stated-which is your example article is being used as a Public Service Announcement, to put the public on notice and to be on the look out for this perp. But when the person has already been IDed there is no need for a description and using race is very clearly out of bounds. Stating someone is from the military is not as bad as race-but I still do not think it adds anything to the story and infers a stereotypoe."

11. Jack Griffiths wrote on April 30, 2008 8:47 PM:
"PTSD,post traumatic stress syndrome,has been and continues to be a plague upon civilian society that's already cost us billions.Recently released trans-generational studies from Korea through Vietnam have incontrovertably proven that PTSD,left undiagnosed and untreated in recently discharged service personnel first manifests itself in violence, normally fueled by alcohol. Apprehended by local police the resultant charges and conviction then deny the still undiagnosed patient any access to a quality job and the community stigma associated.Unemploye and idle whilst experiencing the symptoms: flashbacks,night terrors,severe agitation and pathological distrust the victim frequently fall into the self-medication trap or seeks marginal associations and high risk behaviors that again characterize him/her as labile,unreliable and severely troubled.Wives and children usually suffer terribly under these conditions.No one,especially not in the masculine sterotyping of this militarist society, is ready to admit they need help."

12. Well . . . wrote on April 30, 2008 8:59 PM:
"Mr. T, I think you've made your point. Dave Cohen, given your experience you know as well as I do that race is only used when it is part of a physical description of a crime suspect - the UT doesn't typically give the race if the person was arrested or otherwise caught. And Citizen, saying the person is in the military is not just like using race. See my previous sentence. Finally, I'm not so sure the letter writer is correct. I think the UT generally gives an occupation. E.g., a shopkeeper was arrested today . . . or, local attorney sought in molest of child . . . that sort of thing. And BBH, you mean it "implies" a stereotype, not "infers." It figures with you."

13. Jack Griffiths wrote on April 30, 2008 9:10 PM:
"The intake procedure of most police depts do not required an ID of the perp as a veteran therefore the thousands of PTSD related incidents are not collated nor recognized as a rec-curring societal disease and its specific comsensurate costs are not calculated. Nor are remedial programs initiated.Well informed modern judges are beginning to require VA interface as a condition of probation but given the well publicized recent faiures of the VA system many PTSD sufferers simply do the cursory reporting to satisfy the conditions of their release,and no more. A compounding of the problem is that the DOD de-funded the military to VA section of the info pipeline that would have automatically transfered a service connected and ID'd PTSD case directly to post discharge treatment.In the period of 75 to 85 its estimated that there were 15,000 suicides by cop within the veteran demographic. Since,we as taxpayers have paid billions in related costs."

14. jack Griffiths wrote on April 30, 2008 9:24 PM:
"Those costs,beyond the local public security considerations,are also multiplied by incarceration.Huge numbers of both men and women in prison are veterans.The costs in broken families,chronic absenteeism,physical health and related medications will cost our grand-children multiple billions if this plague is permitted to continue unabatted.Already the VA has been forced to admit 12,000 suicides.That's just in 4+ years.What will be the ramifications to each of us if this terrible injustice is left to fester within our body politic?There are over 220k vets here in Fortress San Diego.That's today.What if our men and women are brought home before we've got the proper procedures in place?I may agree that publicizing the military status of an alleged may seem unjustifiable butI believe that we've got to recognize this huge liability by any and all means necessary and for us to hold those responsible for their incredible historical failures to account and scientific remediation."

15. Dave Cohen wrote on May 1, 2008 7:49 AM:
"Read BBH's initial post again. He said when crimes are covered, the UT NEVER uses race of the suspect. The story I cited was a crime being covered. And, yes, when I worked for SDPD, if a suspect was in custody, we never used his/her race. BBH...this was not a public service announcement; it was a news story -- and it used the suspect's race."

16. Billy Bob Henry wrote on May 1, 2008 12:40 PM:
"Well . . . wrote on April 30, 2008 8:59 PM:......And BBH, you mean it "implies" a stereotype, not "infers." It figures with you.".....HMMmmmmmm. *** in·fer= To conclude from evidence or premises. To reason from circumstance; surmise: We can infer that his motive in publishing the diary was less than honorable. To lead to as a consequence or conclusion: "Socrates argued that a statue inferred the existence of a sculptor" (Academy). ****To hint; imply. *****"

17. D wrote on May 1, 2008 1:46 PM:
"One could infer a sterotype from the statement, yes. However, the statement itself implies.....Ba ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha....but anyway, yeah, I don't find this topic too interesting."

18. Jack Griffiths wrote on May 1, 2008 4:59 PM:
"Apologies,if I've seemed off topic.The U-T, and I am rarely in a position to commend that rag,has does yeoman service over the past 18 months in bringing the problem of PTSD to its reader's attention.Here,again in Fortress SD,as we are surrounded by military installations that's very important.When appending a person's military service affiliation with a story on crime I don't believe they are attempting to stigmatize the honorable military or its members but are trying to re-enforce their editorial policy that we're all facing an incredible and complex problem, thats costly,current and with more troubled chickens coming home to roost.I recommend anyone with further interest in this to Google:Post traumatic stress Disorder.In the past 9 months there have been some very disturbing studies published out of the regional VA in Boston w/Harvard Medical,etc.Inquirie to a local office should be written to Bob Filner.Chair of Vet's Affairs.These kids need our Help."

19. Learn, BBH, learn . . . wrote on May 1, 2008 6:02 PM:
"Usage Note: Infer is sometimes confused with imply, but the distinction is a useful one. When we say that a speaker or sentence implies something, we mean that it is conveyed or suggested without being stated outright: When the mayor said that she would not rule out a business tax increase, she implied (not inferred) that some taxes might be raised. Inference, on the other hand, is the activity performed by a reader or interpreter in drawing conclusions that are not explicit in what is said: When the mayor said that she would not rule out a tax increase, we inferred that she had been consulting with some new financial advisers, since her old advisers were in favor of tax reductions. American Heritage Dictionary. Words mean something, BBH."

20. Billy Bob Henry wrote on May 1, 2008 9:26 PM:
"Words mean something, BBH."..........OH BROTHER-here we go again!......**In·fer 1. to derive by reasoning; conclude or judge from premises or evidence: They inferred his displeasure from his cool tone of voice. 2. (of facts, circumstances, ****statements, etc.) to indicate or involve as a conclusion; lead to. 3. to guess; speculate; surmise. 4. to hint; *****imply; ****suggest. –verb (used without object) 5. to draw a conclusion, as by reasoning. ...BOOM! Schools in junior."

21. BBH . . . wrote on May 2, 2008 6:05 PM:
"to rely on common usage as an excuse to misuse a word is extraordinarily lazy in any case, but particularly when you are using a word to mean its exact opposite. There are instances in which the common usage crutch on which you and other semi-literates lean isn't much of a bother (e.g., using impact as a verb, and that sort of thing), but this isn't such an instance. I do, however, find amusing your "Schools in junior" remark. Funny. Best, Ronald"

22. Jack Griffiths wrote on May 12, 2008 6:15 AM:
"Pursuant to my thoughts on this as reflected in my post #18 I recommend the front page of the U-T,5-12,today, bottom right hand side: Disabled Vet's medical costs are set to soar: by Jennifer C.Kerr:(AP) 1st paragraph says it all. Associating a person's miltary status, especially,in cases of alleged crime should be regarded as an warning to us all rather than a stigma upon the honor of our military. If we fail to address the PTSD consequences NOW we'll indenture our Country for a generation to come."