ROANOKE TIMES 

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 6, 1991                   TAG: 9102130508
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

TO CHANGE DIRECTION, MUST QUESTION WAR

I WANT TO support our soldiers, but is it support to pretend this is a right and honorable war when I don't think it is? It is not easy for solders or their loved ones to question the war. But if there is ever to be peace in the world, it will not be promoted by ignoring the facts that make the present war questionable.

We stopped Hussein with only a defensive force. We could then have focused the whole world on creating stability and peace in the region. Sanctions had a good chance of working. Our forces could have probably been replaced largely with a United Nations peace-keeping force.

As soon as our government moved in its offensive forces, all of this changed. The force was too large to be kept in place during the time it would take for sanctions to work. This was coupled with a no-compromise stand by our president. These seem like actions designed to bring us into war.

This war must be questioned so that at its end, we can change our direction. The United States has a potential to be a great and courageous leader to move the world toward peace, cooperation, economic stability and prosperity, and a clean environment. We just passed up one chance. There will be another when we bring our troops home.

Will we increase armaments in the area (as some are already suggesting), or will we encourage more cooperative solutions? At home, should we spend money we don't have to rearm (again, as some are already suggesting), or put our money into economic competition? Are we more secure by spending an extra billion on defense, or using it to balance the budget?

If we don't look honestly at this war, we will continue in a direction that will cause another. RAY TUCKER SALEM 


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