"The Sapphires" is missing a lot — detailed characters, a unique narrative arc, half-plausible scenes of the Vietnam War — but it's got two uncommon things going for it: genuine charm and Chris O'Dowd. They are not mutually exclusive.

In a rare show of bipartisanship, Senate Democrats and Republicans will hold a joint meeting next month to mark the 40th anniversary of Sen. John McCain's release from a North Vietnamese prison.

Up there with “Stoker” and “Like Someone in Love” as one of the best films to hit theaters this spring, “War Witch” is devastating, beautiful and truly not to be missed. An Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Language Film, this gut-wrenching tale of a child soldier has been reeling in the accolades: Best Actress awards for young star Rachel Mwanza at both the Berlin and Tribeca film festivals, along with a whopping 10 honors (including Best Picture) at this year’s Canadian Screen Awards.

When the ninth-annual Southwest Military Transport Show was initially scheduled for this coming weekend, it was done so specifically not to conflict with the annual Luke Air Force Base open house and air show – traditionally one of the largest such draws in the Southwest.

It was 10 years ago that Colorado filmmaker Larry Cappetto first came to the East Valley to interview combat veterans for his series of World War II documentaries.

"Trickle-up poverty, aka socialism, means everyone will be getting crumbs."

“Here is a great way to boost our economy. Everyone with a foreign car should go out and buy either GM, Ford or Chrysler. That way your money will give the economy a big boost. Americans should support the USA, not Japan or Korea. When you buy foreign cars they tell you that the cars are made here, which is wrong, the cars are assembled here. Another point: When you buy a foreign car some of your money goes to that country.”

Never before in U.S. history have the American people held its military in such (unrealistic) esteem. Possibly, it is partially due to false images portrayed by the for-profit 24/7 cable-news organizations; possibly, it is partially due to the general American public’s lack of experience, and knowledge — i.e., we’ve lost our grip on reality.

If what you know of United States history came out of school textbooks, prepare to be enthralled by our shared past as never before.

On a sun-splashed Higley High School football field blanketed with a warm autumn breeze on Friday, more than 3,000 people came to celebrate military veterans for their service and sacrifices they made through the decades for the freedoms we enjoy today that did not come for free.

Jack Jarzynka had driven past American Legion Post 39 in Gilbert “about 100 times,” so one Saturday night after he and his wife, Kathy, had dinner about six years ago, he decided to stop in for a 1950s and 60s dance.

“Isn’t it ironic that the very same hippies, anarchists and flower children of the 1970’s (and now their grown up daughters) are exactly what they accused the returning Vietnam War veterans of being: ‘baby killers’. There were 1,300,000 living, human fetuses who were killed in their mother’s womb in 2011. The Vietnam veterans were never proud of having to kill civilians during the war. The ‘baby killers’, on the other hand, are proud of it. They call themselves, ‘pro-choice’.”

A heartfelt tradition in Gilbert of honoring military veterans who made sacrifices throughout the years to protect the freedoms we enjoy today has become so large that it will continue to be held at a larger venue.

Editor's Note: These letters to the editor have been sorted by topic by the Tribune editorial staff in an effort to allow readers to read varied opinions on the issues, candidates, and other circumstances surrounding the 2012 general election. These submissions are the opinions of the author, not the Tribune, and have not been edited for grammar or content.

Editor's Note: These letters to the editor have been sorted by topic by the Tribune editorial staff in an effort to allow readers to read varied opinions on the issues, candidates, and other circumstances surrounding the 2012 general election. These submissions are the opinions of the author, not the Tribune, and have not been edited for grammar or content.

Peering through the new prescription glasses he just got from the veterans hospital, Korean War veteran Gilbert Torres sifted through a stack of papers detailing claims he’d had pending with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs since July 2011.

"Cloud Atlas" encompasses six stories over a span of 500 years and features an enormous cast of A-list stars playing multiple roles. This means it's also very long — 172 minutes — and carries with it the ambitions of an epic.

The American Legion Auxiliary is a remarkable organization with nearly one million women across the country. We are the largest women’s patriotic service organization in the nation, devoted to America’s veterans, young people and communities. You may have seen us passing out our trademark crepe poppies, which are handmade by disabled veterans.

Maybe it’s just the haze of nostalgia, but it seems that 40-plus years ago when I was trick-or-treating age, we could put the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, civil unrest and the drug culture out of our minds long enough for some good old-fashioned fun.

A few things to consider for those who plan to vote for Mitt Romney concerning his service to his country:

Duty, honor, country: Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be. They are your rallying point to build courage when courage seems to fail, to regain faith when there seems to be little cause for faith, to create hope when hope becomes forlorn. -- General Douglas MacArthur, Thayer Award Speech, 1962

Serving our country through the military is a great honor and our soldiers deserve to be treated with utmost respect. That is why I often write about the importance of supporting and honoring our military personnel.

It’s hard to figure out Mitt Romney.

It is a pleasure to be denounced by Ahwatukee Foothills’ leading political troglodyte, Jim Thompson (“Maybe we’ll just end up being a third-world country,” AFN, Sept. 2), as a “mudslinger” for condemning Mitt Romney’s Vietnam draft-dodging.