EDITOR,

“The fluffiest pancakes you’ll ever make.” “Make chips in the microwave.” “Classes at the gym the stars swear by.” These were some of the main headlines I read Monday morning when I went on Yahoo.com. Of course, there were headlines about the election and the unfortunate fires in Northern California, as well.

Last week, the headlines described how the White House said it was “outraged” that some punk rock band in Russia got sentenced to two years for being hooligans. Even other countries were upset about the sentencing.

Unfortunately, these headlines matter very little to a parent who has a son deployed in Afghanistan and another son deployed in South Korea. The headlines that catch my attention read “Another United States soldier killed by an Afghan cop.”

This week, the 21st soldier was killed in the past two weeks. Ten servicemen have been killed by people affiliated with the Afghan police or army. It was also the 32nd soldier killed this year by a turncoat — a so-called green-on-blue — attack this year.

I am amazed at the lack of outrage and anger from our administration and others regarding these killings. Yes, I did read that President Barack Obama was going to speak with Afghan President Hamid Karzai. As they say, talk is cheap. Actions speak louder than words.

If the president really wants to do something, then give our troops what they need to do the job correctly, or bring them home. This half-baked plan ain’t cutting it.

Here is my case and point. I received a message from my son, who is stationed in southern Afghanistan, to send food. It seems the mess hall that was run by private citizens has closed — downsized because we are planning to withdraw from the country. Well, isn’t that special. We sure the heck wouldn’t want some private company to lose business by supplying food to our troops.

As a result, we mailed our son and his buddies five large boxes of microwaveable food and other items. I have heard several other parents have had to do the same thing for their children.

I realize my kid is not at summer camp. I know he is in a war, and as the saying goes, “War is hell.” But I also expect that our leaders will make sure that he and everyone else serving is given the proper support and tools to get the job done right.

If the federal government doesn’t want to provide our military personnel with the proper equipment and supplies, then it is time for us to leave Afghanistan. It is time for all of the political rhetoric to stop and make a decision about what we are doing.

I am very proud of my sons and all those who serve or have served in these conflicts, wars or whatever you want to call them. I am just tired of reading about another young life lost or our dedicated service personnel not receiving the full support they need.

God bless all of our troops, past and present. I hope our current troops come home soon.

• Editor’s note: Steve Abercrombie is a member of the Tracy City Council.