Letter to the editor

The incident that took place in the Strait of Hormuz involving the harassment of U.S. Naval warships by Iranian speed boats, while certainly an aggressive act, cannot be, in all seriousness, be considered to have been a major threat to our Navy. Come on, speed boats versus Destroyers? That would be like the Polish calvary in World War Two attacking invading German Tiger tanks on horseback.The Republican Presidential candidates wasted no time in rising to the bait and start brandishing war clubs and intimations of global war just around the corner.Certainly the U.S. government had every right to call the Iranians on the carpet and read the riot act to them, but if we were to over-react every time our adversaries did something irritating and stupid, we'd be constantly embroiled in never ending conflict around the world. I just don't believe the Iranians are so stupid and suicidal as to seriously take on the United States Navy with speed boats. What next, launching missiles at us with catapults? The most troubling factor here is the willingness of some of our politicians to quick-draw at the drop of a hat every time somebody sticks their tongue out at us. There may surely come a time when war is inevitable. For everybody's sake, let's hope that all peace options remain on the table until it happens.

George Morin
Auburn, Ga.