I am writing in response to Michael McKnight's Sept. 17 Right of Way (column) asking those protesting a proposed attack on Iraq to grow a spine.
Mr. McKnight talks of the possibility of Saddam Hussein becoming an Adolf Hitler and committing mass genocide. I read McKnight's article, and as I read his argument I wondered how he gained admission into this University.
It is obvious to me that Michael McKnight's article is nothing more than ignorance rearing its ugly and uninformed head.
If Mr. McKnight would like to use historical facts to buttress his argument I will do the same. The last time that the U.S. entered into a war without clear and defined objectives was the Vietnam War.
The U.S. entered into this war because of the fear of the spread of communism. The U.S. felt that if communism went unchecked that the results would be pernicious and detrimental to the U.S. way of life.
However, the costs of this war were devastating. There was no regime change, and several American and Vietnamese fighters were lost in the battle. As a nation we have come to accept that this war was both unwarranted and incredibly costly.
Before Mr. McKnight is so quick to criticize those protesting the war, he should first ask himself whether he is willing to risk repeating the mistakes of the Vietnam War just so the U.S. can oust Saddam Hussein.
I would also state that it is easy for Michael McKnight to sit behind his computer and urge others to grow a spine because when it comes time for soldiers to go to Iraq and fight Michael McKnight will be sitting in the comfort of his home watching the war unfold on CNN. It is easy for a person to urge others to grow a spine when that person doesn't have to experience the negative and indeed vile effects of said growth.
Finally, I think that it is important for all of us to think what kind of nation we are and what kind of nation we want to become. We talk of Iraq as if it is just some distant land in another world, but the inescapable truth is that all of us live in one world, and instead of advocating war and violence, perhaps we should try to find ways to propagate peace and unity.
