At each other’s throats, and scared silly

Is this the land of the free and the home of the brave, or the land of people at each others’ throats in the home of the scared silly?

During the current political season in which contending candidates appear more angry than jolly, some would-be presidents introduce themselves by blustering that they are can-do leaders that will defeat ISIS. Their assertions seem to be a 2.0 version of the kind of propaganda that was used to promote and justify a rather ambitious venture from 1914-1918 that was originally known as the Great War to be fought to end all wars.

However in falling a bit short of that wonderful ending, the conflict is now referenced as World War I because there obviously came to pass, another big war to be called World War II. And that version 2.0 has been so conspicuously followed by more wars to the point that we have stopped numbering wars and have just kept on counting.

By now we are up to war 6.0, 8.2, or you name it, as making more war to defeat war appears to be analogous to promoting disease in order to be able to treat the symptoms. Thus so, we will attempt to defeat ISIS (which might be thought of as Al Qaeda 2.5 and counting) and be able to ignore the conditions that will produce more terrorism up through 3.1, 3.6, and on until all-hell-freezes-over version 1.0 won’t have it.

Short of that, and in addition to keeping our land as secure as it can be, might it be time to try to give some peace a chance beyond just more war, and do so before we really do fight the war that ends all war and leaves mankind to rest in peace? Such an effort might require that we promote the alleviation of conditions that produce nihilistic terrorists from people that feel so disregarded and marginalized that what little they have in life to lose does not seem worth hanging on to. To do so, we would have to be a bit more visionary than was King George 3.0, who would have been baffled had he heard that a Colonial American named Nathan Hale had said in his last words on being apprehended and executed for spying, “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.”

Sam Osborne

Re: “We need affirmative action until society changes”

There is this stupid notion that everyone must be accepted into a four year university right from the very beginning. I am a white male. I would not have been accepted. I haven’t taken the SATs or ACTs, I would have scored horribly. I had horrible grades in high school. I worked at odd low-level jobs and was living in poverty for years. I went into the Marines for five years. After getting out honorably I worked for another five years before deciding to go to school full-time while working full-time. After getting an AA from Kirkwood Community College I transferred into the University of Iowa and graduated last December. Anyone can do this. I don’t remember ever putting my picture on my application to either school that would have indicated what race I identify with. I have no sympathy for people of any affiliation that receive low marks and are excluded from acceptance. I had low marks, no credentials, and I would not have been accepted. My white privilege suit of armor led me from a horrible high school, to a life of poverty, to the Armed Forces, to community college, and then to a four year institution. Is that the suit of armor you talk about? Everyone’s experience varies. To think that all white people are the same is just as silly as thinking that all black people are the same, but according to you I have many advantages because of the color of my skin. Well dude, I beg to differ.

Nate Fisher