Look behind the labels
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Editor,
Just after listening to the 11th Republican Presidential Debate focusing upon U.S. foreign policy and security, I log onto the Internet and read a story about a 19-year-old Afghan girl who was subjected to a physical attack of rape by her cousin’s husband.
She is found guilty of having sex outside of marriage, adultery, and is sentenced to 12 years in jail. She had a baby and is serving time. She could agree to marry the guy and be released but would probably be killed by the family for disgracing them.
Now, listening to all the grand debate, much of it around Afghanistan and Pakistan, and hearing Ron Paul saying that we should just take care of our own business, not try to run the world, and do what needs to be done right here at home where we know what we are doing and why. He says all this meddling with other countries is nuts and that it will defeat us.
Ron Paul is labeled a Libertarian, I believe. Don’t you just love the way we throw labels around, as if that really identifies someone? Then we don’t have to think for ourselves. All we need do is hang a label on someone and if it is different from what we think our label is, then we can oppose them, hate them, fight them — most times without even knowing what we are talking about.
I happen to agree with Ron Paul, the man. And I couldn’t care less about a label. Let’s look at this young girl who was raped. Let’s look at the Afghan law. Let’s look at our laws. Let’s look at our young men and women fighting and dying in Afghanistan this very minute and ask ourselves: What are we fighting for over there? What are we doing over there? What are we preserving over there? Do you feel safer knowing that our young men and women are fighting and dying in helping out in a nation who has laws, beliefs, and motivations so contrary to the American way?
Ron Paul has a point. He makes sense on the issue of our vast and far-flung military involvements around the world. We are fast losing ground and stature around the world.
Let’s look behind the labels, think for ourselves, and advocate for what is best for America in its role as a world leader.
Bob McClellan
Polson
