The American Legion [Volume 122, No. 4 (April 1987)]

Cover: U.S. Merchant Ships: A Vanishing Asset by Martin Rogers, Stock Boston -- Overcoming Dental Phobia: Technology Is Taking the Worry Out of Dental Visits by D J Moore -- America's Merchant Marine: Stormy Seas Ahead: Our Flag Ships Are Rapidly Disappearing from World Trade Routes. Why? -- When Innocents Die: Every Child Has a Right to Grow Up without Fear by John Walsh -- The Middle East: Why We Can't Afford to Lose: Loss of Precious Oil and Vital Sea Lanes Could Force Hard Choices by Vernon Pizer -- Fishing the Kona Coast: Where Marlin Meets Man in Classic High-Seas Confrontations by Joseph Stocker -- The Excesses of Big Government: Too Many Agencies and too Many People Are Telling Us what to Do by Doug Bandow -- Teaching Values in the Nation's Classrooms: We're Confusing Our Children About What's Right and What's Wrong by Gary Bauer -- Textbook Wars: A Clash of Two Worlds: Who Should Determine Which Textbooks Schools May Use? by Oliver Starr Jr -- Rebuilding Young Lives: A Second Chance for Runaways and Victims of Abuse and Neglect -- Safeguarding Post Assets: If Your Post Gets Sued, Do You Have to Pay, Too? -- Big Issues: Can the Nation Afford Long-Term Health-Care Coverage? -- Letters -- Commander's Message -- Dateline Washington -- Veterans Update -- Legion News Briefs -- Veterans Alert -- Veterans Adviser -- Parting Shots