Walt Monegan, a highly decorated thirty year police officer and Alaska's Public Safety Director, was fired by Governor Palin. The reason for this is the "Troopergate" scandal. But the excuse given by the McCain campaign for Monegan's firing is more telling and far worse than any suggested abuse of power by the Governor.

Accusing Monegan of insubordination, the McCain campaign released a memo stating that the "last straw" in Monegan's firing was a planned trip to D.C. to "seek federal money for investigating and prosecuting sexual assault cases."

Alaska ranks first in the nation for rape and incest; 20% of Alaska's women have been raped, 2.5 times the national average, and reported child sexual assault in Alaska is six times the national average, three of four cases being incestious.

Wasilia, while Palin was mayor, was the only town in the state to charge rape victims for the forensic exam used to investigate their own sexual assault. The town only picked up the tab when the Alaskan government passed a law to stop Wasilia.

The rape kits contained emergency contraceptive. Sarah Palin is on record stating she opposed abortion even in cases of rape and incest.

Palin fired a decorated public servant for getting money to investigate sex crimes in the state with the most sex crimes in the nation, and forced rape victims to pay for their own examinations.

Sarah Palin may be a good mother and a great neighbor, but I wouldn't subject anyone's daughter to Palin's policies.

Jonathan Hixson
Soddy Daisy

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I must have been the only one that watched and listened to CNN on their Palin special a few days ago. Monegan replied to a question by stating, "The governor never asked me to fire the trooper." There is a old saying, "A well told lie will live for years." Troopergate fits in that category.

Mr. Hixson, are you saying that Palin supports rape and is keeping it happening? I was a police officer in the 60's here. Any nurse in the emergency room at that time would tell you any rape victim that came in when it happened never resulted in a pregnancy. Maybe you should present your facts. I guess you believe an employee can follow or not follow their employers orders based on their own decision. I owned a business for 25 years and I would fire an employee for acting like Monegan did.

N.D. Kennedy Sr.
Ooltewah

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"Any nurse in the emergency room at that time would tell you any rape victim that came in when it happened never resulted in a pregnancy."

The adult pregnancy rate associated with rape is estimated to be 4.7%. This information, in conjunction with estimates based on the U.S. Census, suggest that there may be 32,101 annual rape-related pregnancies among American women over the age of 18.

Taken from Center for Diseases Control
Rape Fact Sheet

Roger Southerland
Rossville

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Your opinion piece titled "The Palin Record on Sexual Assault" dated Sept. 22, 2008 is factually incorrect.

It states:

Wasilia, while Palin was mayor, was the only town in the state to charge rape victims for the forensic exam used to investigate their own sexual assault.

This is nothing short of a lie.

Rape victims in several areas of Alaska, including the Matanuska-Susitna Valley where Wasilla is, complained about being charged for the tests, victims' advocate Lauree Hugonin, of the Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, told state House committees, records show.

A review of files and case reports within the Wasilla Police Department has found no record of sexual assault victims billed for forensic exams.

Kay Draco