Attacks on America cannot be tolerated

After reading some of the articles in the opinion section of Thursday?s Oracle, I could not resist writing in reply to some of the issues discussed in various pieces. The letter from Ms. Kelly makes some very valid and important points about suppressing our stereotyping of Muslims as terrorists, and that the United States has not always been very prudent in some of its foreign policy decisions. Also, The Oracle staff?s opinion piece makes the very valid and important point that military action in Afghanistan could be very costly and confusing based on the potential for a drawn-out, guerrilla war where the innocents are difficult to discern from the enemy. I wholeheartedly agree that we should plan our approach very carefully and attempt to be as efficient and effective as possible.

However, there are a few points in both of these pieces that are very disturbing to me. Ms. Kelly refers to America?s own terrorism that it has committed in the past, such as bombing innocent civilians in a pharmaceutical plant in Sudan, a state known to have considerable terrorist activity. I hope that all Americans are not so easily influenced by the propaganda that spills forth for there is much more to come. When we do commit to action, be prepared for numerous false reports of schools, orphanages, hospitals and the like being destroyed by America. Also, The Oracle calls for negotiations. However, one cannot negotiate with terrorists such as these who are not rational human beings. There is no concern for human life with these extremists.

Also, one of the main ways in which we punish without violence is with sanctions, but according to Ms. Kelly, those only lead to the “starvation of millions of innocent people.” This is because the dictators in control have no respect for their people, and any supplies that are allowed in are diverted to their own selfish needs. Is America to be blamed for these atrocities as well?

Since I will not ramble on without any basis for my arguments, it is necessary to examine history, for those who do not are doomed to repeat it. First of all, let us look at the propaganda machine and the value of negotiation. The United States and the former Soviet Republic both signed the Biological Weapons Convention in 1972, pledging “not to develop, produce, stockpile, or otherwise retain” biological agents for offensive purposes.

However, Ken Alibek, who was the head of the Soviet Biowarfare Agency until he defected to the United States in 1992, relates numerous frightening tales of how the U.S. inspectors were led through their germ warfare buildings and were convinced that these were facilities for producing vaccines and other “pharmaceuticals.” Here is one example where we were misled with a “treaty” and propaganda.

Let us beware. This new war will be long and bloody for both sides, but we must stay the course. This is a crucial cause. This was an attack on innocent Americans on our own soil. This was a deliberate act that cannot be tolerated. It is imperative that America never forgets this day or those responsible for this evil, for that is the day when the destruction of innocent Americans will return.

Bryan Tims is a lab assistant in the biology department.

Return to normalcy cannot be rushed

Jeremy Suraf?s column in Thursday?s Oracle, “When can I watch The Simpsons?,” sickened me.

I?m sorry he has to be bombarded with news rather than his beloved cartoon. It?s unfair that they?re going to push back the release of the new Spider-Man and Schwarzenegger films.

He?s right, maybe if a few artists would release a “benefit album to raise money,” we could all get past this tragedy. Rap stars being banned from saying “da bomb” is only a concern that would cross the mind of an idiot.

Mr. Suraf, you are that idiot. This is not the time to put the blinders back on and return to a time of “social normalcy.”

It is a time of awakening. It is a time of increased tolerance and intolerance.

It is a time for us to be aware of the tragedies and dangers surrounding us daily. This is the time to become more involved in the social and political aspects of our country.

We, as a country, can no longer tolerate apathy almost as much as we can no longer tolerate terrorism.

If your main worry in life is that your local television station is temporarily not showing The Simpsons, then say a prayer for the youth of America.

David Knox is a junior majoring in political science.

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