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Volume 38 Issue 5
November 7, 2000

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Peace taken for granted

LEGEND’S VIEW
MESA LEGEND
Submitted November 7, 2000

The bombing of the USS Cole, war in the Middle East, as well as countless and simultaneous wars around the globe are examples of the tragedies produced by this world.

While the United States all too often plays a role in these tragedies, none of these recent events have taken place on our soil.

In the last 60 years, there have been only two foreign attacks on the United States within its borders — the attack on Pearl Harbor and the bombing of the World Trade Center.

America is a unique and fortunate country in that we have seen so few acts of war. Parts of the world live in fear of war constantly. Northern Ireland suffers endless terrorist bombings, the Middle East countries have been at war for more than 5,000 years, and Iraq fears persistent bombing from our military (let there be no mistake about the United States  not being innocent, as we continue to bomb, kill and create war within the borders of other countries).

In those parts of the world, they don’t have the phrase “bomb scare.” They just have bombs that go off without a happy warning, which means there is no safe place. For college students in these areas, the decision to go to school that day is not based on whether or not that history paper is finished, but rather based on how far the fighting is from the campus.

We do have bomb scares here in America and to us that means little more than there will be long lines at the security check in the airport. Getting where we need to go is not the main concern, but rather how long we will have to wait in line. Convenience is more of a concern than safety.

In America, we are prosperous and peaceful enough that we have the luxury of making decisions based on how we feel instead of what is going on around us.

We have our battles, but those are not with other countries. They are internal. Our battles are against drugs, alcohol, kids with guns, adults who abuse children, preventing people from starving and providing healthcare.

The battles seen on American soil are preventative with the purpose of bettering the social status of the country instead of attempting to harm the emeny. These battles are fought not violently with guns and bombs, but peacefully with education and therapy.

The most recent attack on the United States was Oct. 20. A suicide bomb detonated next to the USS Cole. Seventeen American sailors were killed. Our hearts and thoughts go out to those men, women and their families.

This is unfortunately a part of a war, a war that is going on overseas and not in our back yard.

But that bomb went off in someone’s back yard. Students in that area thought twice about going to school on that day and it had nothing to do with homework status. Fear was placed in the minds of those who were near the blast when it went off.

This is a fear that is all too common in the world today, and it’s a fear that America has not been acquainted with like the aforementioned places.

There are more than six billion people in the world. Only 275 million live in America.

While America’s thoughts are with the victims of the USS Cole and their families, America will not forget that those brave and loyal soldiers did nothing to deserve their fate other than making the noble decision to serve their country.

America will also not forget that in a world that is full of tragedies, we did nothing to deserve to be born in the country that sees so little war.

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