Americans shouldn't be taken in by Bush's rhetoric

Americans shouldn't be taken in by Bush's rhetoric
EDITOR:
Are we losing the war on terrorism? Have we really addressed they key question: Why do so many people around the world dislike our country so intensely? The schoolyard bully who is so handy with his fists that he can beat up any kid in the school is apt to be disliked. As the one and only superpower with the most awesome military machine in the history of mankind, we disdain cooperation with other nations or the United Nations. We refuse to sign treaties supported by almost all nations to ban land-mines or contain global warming. The arrogance of power is effective in creating animosity.
By talking tough and dropping bombs on Afghanistan, Bush became very popular with a public understandably yearning for violent retaliation against someone, anyone who might have been related to the terrible attack of Sept. 11. But in a massive bombing that has reduced a poverty stricken country to rubble, have we unleashed a monster that may be hard to control? Military violence has a way of escalating. We already have hawks in the administration, Donald Rumsfield, Paul Wolfowitz, and Condie Rice, trying to build public support for a war against Iraq. This would be costly in dollars and lives and we would lose the support of a large coalition of nations so essential to any real effort to reduce and contain terrorism.
Bush may be looking to retain his high standing in the polls by continuing to talk tough and looking for another place to drop bombs. But in pursuing this line Bush is making a shambles of our foreign relations. He has a secretary of State, Collin Powell, who is an expert in this area. But Powell's efforts to build and maintain a supporting coalition, are undercut by Bush's bellicose rhetoric. Bush is now asking for billions of dollars for more and more military hardware. This will take funds from Social Security and other domestic programs and get us back into deficit spending. Osama bin Laden, wherever he is, must be highly pleased with our reaction to Sept. 11.
Our present course is doing more to perpetuate terrorism than to contain it. Do we really want to offend the rest of the world by throwing our military weight around? Do we want to put Social Security and necessary domestic programs at risk by spending additional billions on a military buildup? If we don't, then it's time to make our voices heard.
PAUL and ANNA MARY GAMBLE
New Wilmington, Pa.
Ancient scrolls, modern music restore serenity
EDITOR:
The time, the place, the storms that roar upon the earth, all seem apocalyptic. In the midst of this tempest, great peace, serenity, security and continuity was available last weekend. At First Presbyterian Church on Monday March 11, Dr. James C. VanderKam, professor of Hebrew scriptures at the University of Notre Dame lectured on the Dead Sea Scrolls.
In a sense, the presentation served as a summary and a reprise of the Concert in the Suburbs which was offered at Temple El Emeth the evening before. There, in that splendid sacred space, the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra and the Symphony Chorus offered the first presentation in the Youngstown Area of Arthur Honegger's great symphonic work "Le Roi David," (King David).
To say that it was thrilling does not do it justice. More than the Dead Sea Scrolls it communicated the sense, the atmosphere, the sound, the smell, the beauty and the tragedy of ancient Israel. But shining through it all and triumphing over all was the presence of God of which the chorus sang: "Mighty God, Jehovah be with us, O radiance of the morn, splendor of noon, mighty God be with us. Open wide those doors that lead to Heaven, open wide those gates that lead to justice. In those precious portals of God the Lord, O Mighty God be with us!"
As long as such great music inspired by our awesome God is sung, there is hope.
Father WILLIAM J. WITT, M.A., M. Div.
Youngstown
X Father Witt is pastor emeritus of St. Brendan Church.