LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Deal with Syria via nonviolence
7/1/2000There are many problems with President Obama’s plan to go to war with Syria (“Obama at G20: World must respond to Syria,” Sept. 6).
Why is a nonviolent response to the problem in Syria considered doing nothing? The U.S. civil rights movement used nonviolence to confront injustice. Congress should evaluate all options, not just military ones.
How will this attack be paid for? Lawmakers claim the nation is in a fiscal crisis.
There should be independent evaluation of evidence that a chemical weapons strike occurred.
We don’t need to use military force to send a message that chemical weapons won’t be tolerated. The message we are sending is that we will never choose a peaceful solution.
Our nation should stand against injustice, just as people in the civil rights movement did. I do not consent to this war.
JILL BERKANA
Courville Avenue
U.S. must rethink attacking Syria
The regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad must be removed and punished for its killing of innocent men, women, and children. But is a military strike the only way? Won’t that cost even more lives of Syrian civilians, as well as those of American forces that would be involved in military action?
The only sector that would benefit from military action is the defense industry, which will make billions of dollars by replenishing armaments. Most U.S. citizens will pay a heavy price for military action. We are barely getting out of recession and are facing trillions of dollars of debt.
I hope our political leaders will be smart and save thousands of innocent lives by avoiding knee-jerk military action and finding a less risky way to remove Assad’s regime.
TASADDUQ HUSSAIN
Monclova Township
Don’t bomb Syria, help refugees
With cruise missiles raining down on the countryside, we’ll be killing more Syrians, not helping them, and destroying the country, not protecting it.
What are we really after? War with Iran? Provoking the Russians who support the regime? Or maybe just an oil pipeline?
We should use diplomatic means to work toward a cease-fire. We should help the refugees.
We can remember the lessons we should have learned from Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya. The public doesn’t want this war with Syria. It will cost millions of dollars that we need here.
The United States always comes across as a morally superior country. We’re familiar with chemical weapons, having used white phosphorous, depleted uranium, and cluster bombs in Iraq and napalm in Vietnam.
People should call their congressional representatives to say there should be no more killing.
NANCY ROFFEY
Cresthaven Lane
We should stay clear of Mideast
Not in the foreseeable future will the turmoil and crises in the Muslim Middle East go away. Our best policy would be to stay away.
JOHN GALBRAITH
Maumee