Archive for January, 2008
The war we don’t celebrate
Shouldn’t we celebrate the anniversary of a war? Don’t the lost lives deserve recognition? Most wars do deserve celebration; but not all wars. Wars that never seem to end, that have ongoing deaths, are difficult to celebrate. Wars like those in many third world countries seem endless; seem to be a way of life, continuing for decades. How do you celebrate that type of war? The Palestinians and Israelis have been at war so long the violence is a daily routine.
Interrogation or torture?
The debate continues. What is interrogation and what is torture? Are there situations in which interrogation is inadequate, situations requiring something more? In the abstract, it seems rather easy to determine what is or is not morally acceptable, what is or is not torture. But, how easy is the decision when it’s personal; when the lives at risk are American, when our national security is in jeopardy? How far do we go to get information? What would you be willing to do to a terrorist if the information they had could prevent another 9/11? If you had a family member in the World Trade Towers and you were interrogating a terrorist before the destruction, would you still find waterboarding heinous? If summarily executing a terrorist could save the life of an American soldier would you hesitate? The urgency of these situations, according to Professor Darius Rejali of Reed College in Oregon, is “morally the only way a democratic society is able to justify torture.”
Allow our military to fight the terrorists
Albert Einstein said, “I do not know with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.” He believed World War III would be nuclear annihilation returning us to the Stone Age. Is he correct? Will there even be a World War III? If there is a World War III, what type of conflict will it be? By the way, what is a world war? Merriam-Webster defines it as, “a war engaged in by all or most of the principal nations of the world”. Is World War III on the horizon? Could the instability of the Middle East be the fuse to ignite it?
Affirmative action: working as intended?
According to a recent USA Today article, five states may have proposals on their ballots this year to end affirmative action. Is it time to end affirmative action? What was its original purpose? Has it helped reduce discrimination? Has it been applied as intended?
