Letter: Many willing to risk others’ lives in war

Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2002 | 9:09 a.m.

We are all only too familiar with them -- the avid hawks who are so eager to risk countless lives of our young military men and women as well as innocent civilians and their children, even in an unprovoked war. They are often heard saying, "We must go to war and fight," knowing there is no chance they will themselves be involved.

Occasionally, though, these "brave patriots" do tear themselves away from the safety and comfort of their "foxholes," their sofas, TV, pizza and beer to call one of the numerous incredibly tedious ultra-conservative "talk radio" shows glutting our public airwaves, anxious to spout their war mongering "views" to the gleeful "host."

The insightful great President Dwight D. Eisenhower, having seen the devastation of war up close, became a champion of peace. This superior president knew that the only ones to really benefit from wars were the oil companies and weapons of death manufacturers.

The present appointed dictatorial administration's determination to single out Iraq as "the enemy" is transparent and predictable. Risking countless lives and a very possible nuclear World War III in an effort to avenge Daddy Bush's incompetent, "read my lips, no new taxes" one-term presidency is appalling.

Wouldn't their time be best spent in attempting to repair the incredible damage they had already done to our economy, Social Security, Medicare, environment, civil liberties and other evidences of their incompetence well before Sept.11? President Clinton's entire "rainy day" surplus was immediately squandered on tax "refunds" to the wealthy and our budget deficit has been doubled.

If only this was just another very bad but harmless horror movie -- appropriately titled "The Revenge of the Bush People."

RUTH DI MAGGIO