LETTERS
War and Peace
America as a superpower needs to weigh its policies in regard to different countries based on reality. There is no doubt that we would like to see democracies like ours across the planet, but not even the Europeans have managed a democracy like ours with much success.
At times we have picked between the bad guy and the worse guy. The Saudi Royal family might not be ideal but it sure beats Bin Laden. Mobarak in Egypt is not a nice person, but he sure beats some of the alternative Islamists. Saddam was not our problem until he stepped over the line and became a threat to our way of life. Some might argue that our approach is not a “fair” policy, and I agree, but it is, and has been, the most logical option at the time.
The truth about the angry Arab street has nothing to do with faith in God, but everything to do with their deep anger towards their historical defeats by the Christian world many centuries ago, and their subsequent rescue from the Ottoman Empire by the West. As the French have proven recently, the inferiority complex of the rescued is more powerful than any sense of gratitude. The resentment toward Israel is mainly due to the “in your face” reminder of the basic weakness of their Arab system which has been exploited by their ruling families. Our rescue of the people of Iraq is another strong reminder of their frail system of governments based on an Islamic format of obeying any leader in power without question, mixed with the standard brutality of their totalitarian regimes.
We have beaten communism, we are at war with fundamentalism and totalitarianism, and I can almost guarantee there will be other ‘isms’ to battle in the future of the free world. At this time in history we are lucky enough to be the hunters and not the hunted. It is our human nature. It is the rule of the jungle.
Barbara Hiller Johnson
Cowan Heights
As Sept. 11 proved, the United States is no longer immune from an assault. With the nation’s threat level now higher because of war, law enforcement officers are working around the clock to protect us from a retaliatory terrorist strike. And, Americans everywhere are taking a second look at their everyday routines.
While there is obvious concern about another large-scale attack, the odds are greater that we could see smaller, more targeted terrorist strikes, in the form of suicide bombings. We may think twice about flying in a commercial aircraft or entering a large building, but we usually don’t ponder the dangers of a dark movie theater, crowded supermarket or packed city bus,all viable targets for a suicide bomber.
However, suicide bombings do require planning and time. This provides a perfect opportunity for law enforcement and the general public to help, by reporting suspicious activity and foiling bombers’ plans.
Law enforcement officers are learning that suicide bombers can be anyone, not just those of Middle Eastern descent. In my criminal justice class, I show my students a picture of a crowded public square and ask them to pick out the suicide bomber in the group of people. They almost always choose the wrong person because of stereotypes.
Just like our law enforcement officers, we all need to be more alert and vigilant during these uncertain times. Timothy McVeigh’s odd behavior was observed by dozens of people before the Oklahoma City bombing, yet reported by no one.
After Sept. 11, all of us are keeping a closer eye on suspicious behavior in our communities. While we will never be fully able to prevent all terrorist activity, we can certainly minimize the danger and refuse to be intimidated.
Lionel von Frederick Rawlins
(Rawlins is a criminal justice instructor at the University of Phoenix in Sacramento and recently was in Iraq advising the U.S. military.)
