Letter to the editor

There seems to be a perception on the part of some people that our safety against terrorists can only be guaranteed by shoot from the hip politicians of one party or another. Anyone who advocates restraint and negotiation with potential and existing adversaries is labeled as cowardly or even traitorous by the war hawks. It has been demonstrated over and over again, down through history, that the imposition by force of one nations idiology over another's has seldom led to a happy outcome. Witness the recent results of the Russian invasion and ultimate retreat in Afghanistan and our own ill fated venture in Vietnam, not to mention the on-going tragedy of Iraq. People generally do not welcome outside intrusion into their affairs no matter how well intentioned and will stubbornly resist changes brought about by foreign intervention . America has successfully demonstrated the advantages of a free and democratic society by example, not by trying to force feed it to the rest of the world. When we do that, we become our own worst enemy. Defend ourselves by all means, but keep close the memory of how we came to be. No outside force was needed to sell us on the idea of freedom and no outside force could deny it to us.

George Morin
Auburn, Ga.