LETTERS: More thoughts on war
To the Editor:
Bill Krause is certainly entitled to his opinion of G.W. Bush and the probable war with Iraq. After all, freedom of speech was one of the reasons he and men like my uncles fought in WWII, and men like my brother and cousins fought in Korea and Vietnam, and my nephews fought in the first Gulf War. That doesn't mean he is right.
For one thing, he assumes an awful lot about the results of the war. He seems to think that once Saddam is nuked, the rest of the region will fall into line. Does anyone really believe that? If so, then why are so many others with more experience saying that the war will destabilize the region and lead to more terrorism against the U.S.?
Yes, Saddam is a bad man. He has plenty of company. Are we going after everyone we disapprove of? One has to wonder why Saddam and why now. What "clear and present danger" does he present to the U.S.? He has no connection to the Sept. 11 bombings. Try as it might, the administration has not been able to prove he does. The hijackers were mostly Saudis. He never gassed his own people; the theory now is that they were victims of Iranian use of gas during the Iraq-Iran war.
Does anyone think it is right to invade another country because we don't like it and we are powerful enough to? Does anyone think the war on terrorism is over? Is the U.S. invading Iraq because we can't find Osama?
People all around the world, including almost 400 in Newton, protested the U.S. going to war alone against Iraq without sufficient reason or support from the U.N. It is the duty of responsible citizens to question and confront their government when it is going to do things in our name that we find abhorrent. As a liberal (a fine and noble condition to aspire to, methinks), I do not need a "Democrat machine" to lead me on or force me into thinking the G.W. Bush is a lame president and that this war is unjustified. I believe it is easier for him to bomb Iraq than to deal with the economy, farms failing, cities deteriorating, the health care system falling apart, etc. We cheer the soldiers when they leave port, and then when they return, we cut their benefits or ignore them altogether.
One of the best signs I saw during the march in Newton was "Peace is Patriotic." One can protest the war and still support the troops who are, after all, only doing their job. Well, I'm doing my job. I don't want a war where civilians will be wiped out in my name or the name of my country. This is not the war on terrorism.
Sincerely,
Patricia Ketchum
