By Charles Springer
I have been sitting at S.M.C. watching the “War in Iraq” and I am getting flashbacks of the Vietnam coverage of the 60s. Anyone who was a child or grew up in the 60s should remember this as being very disturbing.
In watching this I am getting the sense of watching a football game. They have a general who comes on with a map and he shows you the suspected intentions of the troops as they “speed towards Baghdad.”
And they are even giving weather reports for that reason. He even used the same “pen” that they use in football coverage. I keep waiting for that Madden guy to come on and give his “enlightened” opinion.
I am really very ill at ease with all this going on. I feel that the government, as a whole, has taken too much from us as citizens as it is. Now old Georgie Porgie wants $75 billion for this war.
What about this country's citizens? What about our education system and the many MORE people who stand the chance of becoming homeless through the lay-offs in the airline industry and the education system here in California?
What happened to the “no child shall be left behind” words Bush spewed out during the election? What happened to the “hunt for Bin Laden?”
These are questions we, as a people, should be asking ourselves and our “elected” leaders.
As a former Marine who has been trained for combat, I see this easy movement through Iraq as being TOO easy. Saddam is not stupid and I think that our men and women in Iraq are in greater danger than we are being told. And the news agencies are being very stifled as to what they even are being told about this “war.”
Meanwhile, here in Santa Monica things are going on as usual, like the Promenade is not a highly likely target for a terrorist attack. Like the police can stop one of these maniacs from running in, let’s say Coffeebean, and blowing himself and everyone there up.
Are we, as a nation, so blind to the danger of this invasion? Have we forgotten so soon what these people are capable of? You might wonder why they haven't done anything yet. Well my feeling is that they are waiting for the time when there are the most people here.
Summertime tourist season. It might not be here in Santa Monica, but it will happen somewhere where it will cause the most damage to us and our sense of safety. I am saying this as I am thinking like someone who would want to cause the most damage to not only our buildings and economy, but to the heart of the nation whom they hate.
We are not a stupid people here in America but, as I have stated many times in past columns, we have a very bad habit of totally believing our leaders. As if they are not human and cannot deceive us. We think they have all this “knowledge” when in reality, they are human and make mistakes like human beings do. They can deceive us, as they have for the past so many decades, so they can get what they want at our expense. When this $75 billion “war bill” passes in Congress, watch who will take the burden for it.
His tax cut bill is going to be passed as well and that is for the upper class NOT for the middle class.
Let’s see — so far we have no money for education, no money for health care, no money for affordable housing, no money for the veterans, no money for Social Security. BUT we have $75 BIL- LION for this “War in Iraq,” which C.N.N. and other news agencies are making a killing on.
What’s wrong with this picture, people? What can any of you who read this and any other column speaking out against the war see from this whole big picture many of us are painting for you?
How many more people have to die before you see the forest through the trees?
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 31, 2003. Read the original PDF.