Dear Editors,
As a US citizen dedicated to peace, I am greatly alarmed that more
than half of my countrymen are positioning themselves now, six weeks
prior to the election, to vote for President Bush. I ask these fellow
countrymen to think and think again.
From where I sit, the invasion of Iraq was an illegal action taken by
those in the current administration who believe that they have the right
to invade other countries on the pretext that these countries might
be plotting against them. Such pre-emptive action one would assume,
was long ago abandoned by civilized society. Sadly, the present Bush
administration proudly asserts, if re-elected, their firm resolve to
continue their program of pillage in their “war on terror.”
Fighting a “war of terror” is like fighting a phantom. A phantom
like Hydra, the mythological monster who grew two heads for each one
that her enemies cut off. In it’s arrogance and ignorance the US
administration has fallen into this trap. We the American people, our
victims, and the whole world are suffering as a result. I believe there
is only one way to effectively deal with terror — that is to seek
its cause.
There are, of course, a variety of causes of terrorism. The most important,
to me, is the unbalanced distribution of the world’s resources.
This unbalance has created a wide gulf between the nations which drives
men to use terror to realize their dreams. These desperate men feel
they have nothing to lose. There is an immense, untapped army of such
desperate men ready to die for their dreams.
Perhaps they dream of peace and justice, just as we often dream this
dream in our hearts? No war on terror can defeat such an army of terrorists.
No nation, however strong, can by itself defeat terrorism. Terrorism
is born out of the injustices of greed and lawlessness which distort
our world.
I believe that only when we open our hearts to SHARE our abundance with
those less fortunate will we see an end to terrorism. Through sharing
the goals of freedom and justice PEACE can be realized.
I call for a return to sanity now, before Nov. 2. We can, as Americans,
lay down our weapons of destruction and choose the way of peaceful resolution.
May we all take time to listen to our heart speak the truth. May we
remember that all men are our brothers. When we vote on Nov. 2, let
us all realize that our choice for President will greatly affect the
state of the entire world for decades to come. What is the dream of
your heart?
Susan Durham
Weaverville, NC
