Newspaper Page Text
Etiquette
Lessons from the front
A World War II manual, of all things, offers
advice about respect that applies to all of us.
BY PEGGY POST
££k MERICAN SUCCESS or failure in Iraq may well depend
on whether the Iraqis like American soldiers or not. It
M M may not be quite that simple. But then again it could.”
These words come from Instructions for American Service
men in Iraq, a 1943 U.S. Army guide for American troops sent
to guard Iraq against Nazi infiltration. The text was resur-
rected this year by the University of
Chicago Press, which showed it to
LL Col. John A. Nagl. Nagl wished
that he had read it before his year
long tour in A 1 Anbar in late 2003,
and he has written a foreword to the
recently reissued manual.
Reading this 64-page gem, amid
the explanation of the Iraqi culture
and Arabic language, I was struck by
how similar the advice is to that dis
pensed by the Emily Post Institute.
Advice that, when followed, can be
used to defuse situations that appear
to be insurmountable.
“Handshaking in Iraq is consid
ered an important part of good man-
ners. You will be greeted with a handshake on every occasion that
you meet an Iraqi. His handshake is cordial and sincere. Return
it in the same spirit.”
The text reminds soldiers: “By what you do and how you act
you can do a lot to win this war and the peace after it Show
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V-
MAUWCIO LIMA, AfP/Gtl 1Y MAGfcS
Today,: as in. the 19405. cultural sensitivity is as effective for
■those of us at home as for soldiers in the Mideast.
>o-“
"A sensitive awareness
of the feelings of others"
works in any situation.
USA WEEKEND • Dec 21-23,2007
respect to others and they in turn will respect
you. Fighting insurgents is possible only when the
civilians they hide amongst trust soldiers enough
to point out the bad guys.”
There’s a message for those who fret about do
ing the right thing to the point of inaction. Have
you ever put off calling a friend who has lost a
loved one because you don’t know what to say?
Have you ever worried so much about speaking
to people from other cultures that you avoid them?
Legal Notice From The United States District Court
For The Eastern District Of Tennessee At Knoxville
If you bought certain recalled Diamond Pet
Food Products in 2005, you may be entitled
to a payment from a legal settlement.
A settlement has been reached in a class action lawsuit
about certain Diamond Pet Food products. The settlement
provides for an amount of up to $3.1 million to pay
consumers who purchased recalled Diamond Pet Food
products, and to compensate dog owners whose dogs were
injured by eating Diamond Pet Food products.
WHO’S INCLUDED?
You are a Class Member if you bought recalled
Diamond Brand or Country Value Brand Pet Food product in
2005, and did not return the food for a refund. You are
additionally a class member if your dog was injured or if
you incurred a veterinary bill as a result of your dog eating
Diamond Brand Dog Food.
WHAT IS THIS CASE ABOUT?
The lawsuit has alleged that Diamond Pet Foods
initialed a recall of certain products in December of 2005,
and that certain consumers have not received a refund for
recalled food. The lawsuit also alleges that certain dog food
manufactured by Diamond contained aflatoxin and that dogs
were injured and/or their owners incurred veterinary bills
because of the food.
Diamond denies that the plaintiff is entitled to the relief
sought. The settlement is neither an admission of wrongdoing
nor an indication that Diamond violated any laws. A court
has not made any findings as to which side is right in the
case. The settlement is designed to resolve the case.
WHAT DOES THE SETTLEMENT PROVIDE?
Diamond has agreed to create a settlement fund of up
to $3.1 million to pay for valid claims and for attorneys' fees,
costs, and expenses as may be established by the court. The
settlement agreement, available at the website, describes the
details of the settlement.
The settlement provides that consumers who
purchased recalled dog food and did not already return it for
a refund may receive money, provided the class member
establishes that he or she purchased recalled Diamond Dog
Food and did not return it. Additionally, the settlement fund
15
1-800-960-6651
“The main thing is the spirit of politeness and
courtesy,” the manual says. “If you show this, the
Iraqis will understand and forgive any lapses you
may make through not knowing their customs.”
“Manners are a sensitive awareness of the feel
ings of others,” Emily Post once said. “If you have
that awareness, you have good manners, no mat
ter what fork you use.” Manners often are referred
to as “common sense.” And a little common sense
really can go a long way. ra
provides that class members who submit a valid claim
showing that their dog was injured or that they incurred a
veterinary bill as a result of Diamond Dog Food will be
entitled to a payment for veterinary expenses. The settlement
also provides that Diamond will pay attorneys' fees, costs,
and expenses incurred in this lawsuit.
HOW DO YOU ASK FOR A PAYMENT?
Call the number listed below or go to the website to
obtain a claim form, or send a request to the address below
and a notice and claim form will be sent to you. If you
believe you are a class member, fill out the claim form and
mail it to the address below. All claims must be postmarked
by April 15,2008.
WHAT ARE YOUR OTHER OPTIONS?
If you don't want to be legally bound by the settlement,
you must exclude yourself by March 16. 2008 or you will
not be able to sue Diamond about these claims ever again. If
you exclude yourself, you will not get any money from the
settlement. To exclude yourself, you must send a letter by
mail stating that you want to be excluded. You must include
your name, address, telephone number and signature. You
must mail your request to: Diamond Pet Food Settlement,
c/o The Garden City Group. Inc., P.O. Box 9214. Dublin,
OH 43017-4614. If you stay in this settlement class, and
you wish to object to the settlement, you must notify the
court of your intent to object by February 26. 2008. The
website explains how to exclude yourself or how to object to
the settlement.
The court will hold a fairness hearing on March 26,2008
at 1:30 p.m. to consider whether to approve the settlement and
a request for attorneys' fees by the lawyers representing the
class members. The lawyers representing class members are
requesting a fee of $465,000.00. and expenses of $10,735.00
from the settlement fund. This is only a summary
of the settlement agreement. To learn more about the settlement,
call toll free 1-800-960-6651, go to the website, and/or write to
Diamond Pet Food Settlement, c/o The Garden City Group,
Inc.. P.O. Box 9214, Dublin, OH 43017^1614.
www. Recalled PetFoodSettiement.com