POINT OF VIEW COLUMN: Do we know what to say about war?
JO ZULKOWSKY
We’ve all sat through a history class at one time or another, heard the stories of our grandparents and parents who went to war, and most recently listened night after night as the news headlines read Kosovo Crisis.
Or maybe you haven’t paid attention and if you did as part of generation x it probably didn’t matter. Who cares, it doesn’t effect me is the general attitude that generation x feels on world events.
According to various polls and surveys generation x is less aware of world events than previous generations. So what? Aren’t we the future of this world? Shouldn’t we make our feelings and opinions heard? Do you realize if NATO choses to send ground troops in the situation has the potential to be similar to Vietnam, or even lead to another major war.
According to ABC news 61% of the U.S. is in favor of ground troops. So what should NATO do: get out while they still have a chance or begin a war? Let me remind you, America has been through this once in Vietnam; 58,000 GI’s died and for what purpose or do you even care?
This country is still very much affected by the events of Vietnam, especially to the generations who lived through it. With Vietnam the U.S. got deeply involved in a situation where national interests weren’t directly at stake. It divided the nation; some believed we should be there and others said we had no right to be there, as with Kosovo.
If NATO starts a war, young men will find themselves in the mist of war instead of sitting in a class room.
At this point its not the idea of whether or not to go to war, or even that the U.S. is involved in Kosovo; it’s that generation x doesn’t give a damn about the rest of the world. I feel it’s time we stand up and say "I do know, and more importantly understand and care about world events." After all, we are the future of this world.
Your opinion will need to be voiced sooner or later. Will you know what to say?
The Apache April 29, 1999