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

DATE: SUNDAY, February 24, 1991                   TAG: 9102250276
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: D-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

WHAT KIND OF WORLD IF U.S. SOLD NO ARMS?

IF WE CONTINUE to be one of the world's largest producers of military weapons, there will always be smaller countries like Iraq trying to keep up. If we continue to sell or provide other countries with weapons, it's almost certain they will be used in war.

In the case of the war in the Middle East, Germany, the Soviet Union, France and the United States provided or sold Iraq most of the weapons we are fighting against today.

Instead of justifying our astronomical military spending through war, what would it be like if the United States took a different kind of leadership role? What would it be like if we became a leader of constructive pursuits of diplomacy, of innovative environmental changes? If we didn't have all these expensive and elaborate military weapons on hand, would we be more inclined to pursue the art of diplomacy? JOE KLEIN FLOYD

by CNB