A recent New York Times/CBS News poll found the majority of Americans citing the Iraq war as the most important issue affecting their vote. Yet there is another war being waged involving billions more, and that is the ongoing conflict between “you” and “me,” “us” and “them.” Recent Record-Bee articles highlighted escalating domestic violence as we were experiencing the “normal” (!) election wars, in which attack ads and trash talk have proliferated to far greater heights than ever before.
We know the Iraq war is costing hundreds of thousands of human lives and, according to costofwar.com, $342,348,039,065 of U.S. taxpayer”s money, as of writing, Lake County inhabitants having contributed, willingly or not, $46,572,080, that number increasing at about one dollar per second. Meanwhile, the Center for Responsive Politics estimates the total bill for this election at $2.6 billion, up from $2.2 billion for the 2002 mid-term elections.
As long as we are willing, even eager to wage war, violence will continue, even increase (thanks, Record-Bee, for the articles), and wars will keep erupting all over the world and our TV screens will blaze with attack (!) ads of politicians battling for positions of power, influence and obese incomes, with those controlling fatter “war (!) chests” more likely to buy their elections.
Yes, I read and carefully considered the “Official Voter Information Guide” (which contains “arguments (!) for and against”); I also voted ONLY for candidates who did not trash others also seeking election.
I deeply mourn our ongoing commitment to waging and supporting warfare in us and between us. Perhaps the sweet gray mist now shrouding the lake and hills around my house this mild morning is made of the tears of billions of human beings and the weeping of Mother Earth Herself. What do you think?
Eric Leber
Kelseyville
ericleber@mchsi.com
