Active policy neded to defend US from terrorists

Like any number of other areas, preventing war, a worthy goal, depends on much more than one facet, weaponry. In the case of people dead-set against the government, not caring about innocent lives, the saying rings true. Few of us would want such people to be armed, yet the Second Amendment has generally been interpreted to give them this right.

But, if we wish to stop horrific incidents like Oklahoma City from recurring, we must defend our country from without and within against those who would stop peace at all costs. Progress is needed in two areas: national defense and policy. National defense must be used against international terrorists, while an active policy, balanced with respect for legal rights, must be used against domestic terrorists.

Columnist A.M. Rosenthal succinctly states that "terrorism committed by Americans is treason, and... foreign terrorism against the United States, wherever committed, is warfare." A proper use of national defense, then, is to foil the growing problem of international terrorists, who are waging war on innocent citizens of the United States, such as in the infamous World Trade Center bombing.

At the first mention of national defense, however, some will rush to decry the B-2 "Stealth Bomber" that is anything but, and rightfully so. That program was a costly failure. There are others. But, many weapons, such as the Tomahawk Cruise Missile (manufactured by Tucson's own Hughes Missile Systems) have contributed greatly to America's well-being and economy and have kept our troops safer while serving as no small headache to the likes of Saddam Hussein, a man who feasts while his people starve and who allowed his own son-in-law to be murdered.

National defense is a paradox. We must continue to develop and manufacture quality weapons in order to avoid ever having to use them. There will always be hate, and there will always be weapons. The job of national defense is to silently but surely keep the two from conspiring to harm us. This use of weapons is noble, if challenging.

A 1988 presidential commission made two primary suggestions for dealing with international terrorism. First, the president and the people must commit resources to preventing or retaliating against terrorist attacks. Second, the United States must garner support from our allies and any other concerned countries to do the same. This includes taking military action, revoking business privileges, and speaking on behalf of peace.

"If you love your freedom, thank a veteran" also bears remembering. We have wider and deeper freedoms here than in almost any other country in the world, and that is partly because American men and women have designed and manufactured, trained on and used weapons to defend our interests.

Each time terrorism invades a country, its citizens all lose a fraction of their freedom to fear. This holds especially true for the treasonous actions of domestic terrorism. In areas where domestic terrorism has become a way of life, such as in the Middle East and in Ireland, it brings death and destruction almost daily. Consequently, Jewish and Muslim, and Protestant and Catholic children are taught to hate each other. Our government has its flaws, but we do not have to check for bombs underneath our cars, and we rarely teach our children to carry a burden of hate for the rest of their lives. We do not want to open the door to the horrors of home-grown terrorism that Oklahoma City displays for us.

Though we must legally and morally respect the rights of those citizens accused of domestic terrorism, we have a profound duty to the victims and each other to severely punish those who have attacked their own countrymen, and to join together to fight the forces of hate that organize and advertise to us daily.

It is only by uniting intelligently and respectfully to stop hate that we can keep weapons out of the hands of those who do not wish for peace on earth.

Kristen Roberts is a pre-education sophomore who is proud of her family's service in defense of America's true and valuable freedoms. This is the last of her 'Life in Balance' columns. Her homepage remains at http://www.u.arizona.edu/~knr.

By Kristen Roberts (columnist)
Arizona Daily Wildcat
April 24, 1997