This is Viewpoints for Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016
Price of war
In display of an incredibly short memory for ill-advised military intervention, presidential candidates repeatedly offer their solution to ISIS: "carpet bomb," "bomb the (excrement) out of them," "put troops on the ground," and other insanities.
Remember Iraq? Such strategies worked really well there, didn't they? Besides irreparable harm to thousands of soldiers, families and civilians, that fiasco led directly to the creation of ISIS and destroyed whatever evil but effective balance of powers that may have existed in the artificially constructed states of that region of the world for which in modern times there has been little stability except when under authoritarian rule by often ruthless dictators.
Primed by the San Bernardino and Paris incidents, it is easy for politicians to throw meat to a ravenous, chicken hawkish electorate. However, having come through the Vietnam era, I would strongly suggest that if we are to engage in more large-scale troop deployments then the military draft should be reinstituted. Perhaps only then, as unfortunate sons are also sent off to die, will the real meaning of war become apparent to the electorate. We currently depend on essentially a mercenary army, easily deployed without personal involvement by the majority and with the burden borne not by the average American but by a very small percentage of the citizenship. It's far easier to send a mercenary off to die for your cause than to send your own son. To do that requires a hugely deliberative and collectively personal process rather than execution of some reactionary revenge motive from the reptilian brain devoid of thought.
Given low pay for the priceless but unappreciated work done by soldiers followed by the understaffed, under professionalized, and inadequate aftercare provided these warriors, our current model of military outsourcing is nothing to emulate.
President Obama should be applauded for keeping us out of the morass and limiting our further military entanglement in the Middle East. Increasing American military reaction will only swell the ranks and harden resolve on the part of ISIS. If ISIS and other forms of radicalization are to be defeated then it will come from within, not imposed by U.S. military power. What should we do? We should focus our resources to negotiate and mediate and educate and associate and, probably unfathomable to many, tolerate different points of view. In my opinion, if we are to win the "war" against radicalism then it will be not with the gun but the mind, maybe even the heart.
In this supposedly "Christian nation," it would be too much to think that we could ever exercise basic teachings of Jesus Christ, including turn the other cheek or loving our enemies. But, then maybe the New Testament is only for Sunday morning, not real life. "Father, father we don't need to escalate. War is not the answer for only love can conquer hate." (Marvin Gaye) Too Utopian? Too pansy? Too idealistic? Who knows? Never really been tried. Except maybe once, by Jesus Christ, and see what happened to him.
— Lowell Clark, M.D.
Macon
All lives matter
Every time I read The Telegraph my heart is grieved and angered to see and read of human suffering and heartache going on every day and night. I also see and read it on television and other publications. Will this decrease or multiply in this coming year? It has greatly increased after I grew up in the 1940s and 1950s.
Blacks are truthful saying "Black Lives Matter." Yet, why do blacks, not all of them for I live near some lovely blacks, destroy so many other blacks if their lives matter? If we are a Christian America shouldn't all lives matter? If so, why doesn't the sanctity of life of unborn babies God has created in the wombs matter? If all lives matter, why are so many precious newborn children destroyed by unmarried mothers and fathers? God ordained marriage so that husbands and wives could love each other and help their children to respect and honor others with love and moral lifestyles.
If all lives matter why is there so much lying, cheating, stealing, robbing, raping, hating, murdering, sexual immorality, destruction of marriage, racism, etc? So much of this depravity has increased over yesterday. The cause and solution of it must be revealed. The cause is sinful nature at birth. All are born as sinners. We sin because we are sinners, not we are sinners because we sin. Only true Christians can offer a solution to sin. The word sin is diminishing in a humanistic culture, even in some secular religious churches. Karl Menninger M.D., in his book, "What Ever Became of Sin" reveals the disappearance of sin in a pluralistic society.
The solution of all lives matter is the love of God in Jesus Christ, "For He has made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God." II Cor. 5:21. All lives matter and will be loved and morally lived when the love of God occupies human hearts and lives with the presence of Jesus Christ in us.
— The Rev. Richard Aultman
Byron
Simple solution
I saw on the news that some citizen groups are asking for money to educate people so they can cut down on traffic and pedestrian accidents. If I remember correctly, they are asking for $5,000 from each of several agencies. Why not try this:
Tell the people not to walk in front of cars without looking. It is common that a person, in Macon, Warner-Robins, Centerville or Forsyth will just walk out into the street into traffic. And parking lots are much worse. Most people do not even look. They are either spellbound by their cellphones or they believe they have the right of way.
My body mass is basically soft tissue and only weights about 240 pounds. A car is metal and weighs over 3,000 pounds. If the unenlightened people get hit by a car, the Rapper, the "One Call" and so on will do little for them in a casket.
Since I have now solved the problem my bill is only $2,000. I am anxiously awaiting my check. Next week we can deal with people who can't put a Toyota Tercel into a parking slot, and the BMW driver who thinks the rules for driving are for other people.
— Jim Huber
Centerville
This story was originally published January 11, 2016 at 9:26 PM with the headline "This is Viewpoints for Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016 ."