Letters
Persuading Hussein to go: not a best hope
Regarding the March 18 opinion piece "A last, best hope against war still exists": Getting Saddam Hussein to leave might have been our last hope, but it certainly wasn't our best.
Our best hope to avoid war would have taken some humility and honesty starting a while back. America had a wake-up call on Sept. 11, 2001, that had the potential to make us more acutely aware of how we are viewed in the world - and why.
Our government, along with US citizens, needed then to take an honest account of our participation in global policy, Americanization of the world, use of the world's resources, and. Unfortunately, that rarely happened.
Treanna Clinton
Elsah, Ill.
Regarding your March 18 article "After Gaza death, activists resolute": I am not a peace activist, but I recently traveled to Israel, Gaza, and the occupied territories to meet friends - Israelis as well as Palestinians.
My impression of Israeli forces was that they indeed seem to be dissolving into a little-disciplined force that casts shame on Israel. Unfortunately, Israelis do not witness the army's actions in the territories. I haven't seen such insane, power-drunk behavior since I was a child during World War II. It is truly frightening and damaging to Israel.
Their acts are far beneath the capacity of Jewish intelligence and spirituality. Jewish people have contributed to humanity with such beauty; should we really support an increasingly immoral army?
Helle Nyberg
Pisa, Italy
Thank you for your coverage of Rachel Corrie's death in Gaza. Yours was the most complete and fair coverage I have read.
The color photo tells the whole story. It shows clearly how Ms. Corrie was unmistakably visible and audible, as she wore bright orange attire on a bright sunny day, was on a hill, and held a loudspeaker in her hand near her mouth. She was alone and unarmed.
How dare anybody suggest that she was endangering anybody's life? Hence the outrageousness of the Israeli army's statement. Their statement stands in stark contrast to the observations I made above.
Walid Abdullah
Chicago
It is sad that Rachel Corrie was killed. However, I must question her ability to perceive dangers that are clear and present, both politically and on the ground.
Politically, I believe she was used as a tool for the terrorists. On the ground, a bulldozer is not an easy piece of heavy machinery to use. Why was Ms. Corrie not trained to move away once the bulldozer was approaching?
It is a sad loss. We should be comforted in knowing she died for what she believed in. Others in this conflict have died living their own private lives, like the three American girls killed in the cafeteria at Hebrew University last year by a terrorist bomb.
Brian Hill
Portland, Ore.
Rachel Corrie's death is certainly regrettable, as is the death of any person. However, I wonder if her group would place themselves in front of a Palestinian suicide bomber or a gunman posing as a student of religion as they kill Israelis in their homes?
Do the groups favoring the Palestinians ever wonder why the Israelis act as they do? There is a reason that bulldozer was where it was.
We may not like what is happening in Israeli and Palestinian territory today, but no one's hands there are clean.
Herbert Yood
Sebastian, Fla.
The Monitor welcomes your letters and opinion articles. Because of the volume of mail we receive, we can neither acknowledge nor return unpublished submissions. All submissions are subject to editing. Letters must be signed and include your mailing address and telephone number.
Mail letters to 'Readers Write,' and opinion articles to Opinion Page, One Norway St., Boston, MA 02115, or fax to 617-450-2317, or e-mail to oped@csps.com.
