By Bruce Mitchell
Buffalo, NY – Our President says we are at war. I disagree. We may have troops engaged in combat, but this nation is not at war. The current "War On Terror," much like our ill-fated "War on Drugs" and the "War on Poverty," has been a purposeful misappropriation of the language in order to affect a political agenda. Inexplicably, the national media has been complicit in this charade. Anything short of an all-out, full national mobilization ought not be called a war. To do so diminishes the gravity of the word. Our nation is irreparably harmed by such purposeful and deceitful prevarication.
War is a most serious endeavor. It is the ultimate sanction that one nation may levy on another. The term "war" ought to evoke a national response and commitment against an identified enemy. The civilian population and the military jointly pursue a common, tangible goal. Sacrifices are expected from all citizens, regardless of age, rank or station. Americans have accepted rationing, travel restrictions, and military conscription in the past. I see none of these signs at this time. What I do see is the erosion of civil liberties.
The "War on Terror" is politically in vogue but militaristically vague. Are we fighting against the terrorists or against their ideals? Terrorists exist throughout the world. They have been nurtured in the slums and penthouses of Northern Ireland, Palestine, the Far East, and the United States. Their activities have brought pain and suffering to thousands of civilians in Belfast, Jerusalem, Tokyo, and Oklahoma City. Yet our military efforts have been directed solely against Muslim fundamentalists in the Middle East and Central Asia.
What took place on September 11, 2001 was not an act of war, but a criminal act of extraordinary proportions enacted by determined zealots with cunning and resolve. We are presently engaged in a worldwide police action. We seek suspects known and unknown. Consistent with traditional law enforcement, we will investigate, apprehend, prosecute, convict, and punish the perpetrators.
However, ideologues have sought to exploit the extraordinary events of 9/11. The bunker-like mentality that pervades Washington is an outgrowth of our bellicose leaders and their exclusionary, clandestine leadership style. As a result, fear and ignorance have mobilized vast segments of the population even as events demand dialogue, understanding, and reconciliation.
The administration's acrobatic feats with the English language have contributed to the nation's polarization at the very same time that it calls for a common, united voice. Patriotism means conformity. Consumerism becomes a means of national sacrifice. Random searches become a panacea for creeping paranoia. Public disclosure is viewed as an intrusive invasion of privacy.
In the decades since WWII, it seems that our government has become all too comfortable in utilizing our vast but limited national resources in a series of questionable military campaigns. Warfare has become far too palatable. The present situation in Iraq is merely the latest example of our willingness to wage war as a preferred and/or politically convenient form of diplomacy. Waging war to end terror is similar to committing suicide to end pain. We may eventually prevail, but at what cost? Surely, at the dawn of the 21st century, there must be a better way.
Until such time that Mr. Bush seeks a Declaration of War from Congress, and until such time that Congress has the political courage to discharge its Constitutional duties, I will refuse to accept that we are at war. As a citizen, I will dutifully make whatever wartime sacrifices are necessary in defense of our nation. This is not such a time.
Listener-Commentator Bruce Mitchell is a school counselor and coach in Hamburg.