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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels September 4, 2004 At issue with 'war' letter It is a sign of ignorance and yes, madness to call for a war on "Radical Islam" (letter, Sept. 2) an entity never described, a concept never defined, a so-called threat never analyzed, and an enemy never made visible. Such frenetic warmongering and hatemongering resembles nothing else as much as the assault on " the Jew" in the infamous forgery, "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion," which vicious slander called for war on "International Jewry," on all Jews anywhere, everywhere. Many of the early leaders of Israel were called " terrorists" and indeed engaged in acts of terror but they went on to win Nobel Peace Prizes and high reputations. A terrible thing it is for any group, any time, to be made a target of hate and extirpation. I am saddened that the Tidings saw fit to publish such a commentary. Aside from its call for violence it is a farrago of nonsense concerning the alleged threat to the world from terror and terrorists. It is completely indefensible to say we are at "war" and only ignorant people unfamiliar with real war and those who garner buckets of money from the weapons industry will define it so. There is no enemy out there that threatens our national security but there is a growing rottenness within when "good" Americans can think it acceptable to call for an unnecessary ruthless war to extirpate masses of people. Gerald Cavanaugh Ashland Headlines give misleading ideas The Guest Forum headlines of Aug. 30 and Sept. 2 are misleading. The former is: "Wading through 237 Bush lies." The latter is: "One vote for the candidate that puts war on Islam first." What does the first imply? It implies Bush lied 237 times. The forum itself did not include the word "lie." Rather, "misleading" was used at least twelve times. The word "misleading" is patently dwarfed by the emotion evoked by "lie." Subsequent research reveals the following: The 237 "lies" were not told by Bush. The source for "237...lies" primarily uses "misleading." I didn't read the entire 36-page document so I don't know if the word "lie" is used. See (www.ratical.org/ratville/CAH/IraqOnRecord.html) What does the second headline imply? It implies I, the author of the Guest Forum, want a war on Islam. I do not want a war on Islam. There is nothing in my Guest Forum from which to conclude that I want a war on Islam. I want us to be prepared to defeat the Radical Islamists who have declared war on us. I hope I'm not the only reader who can discern that "Radical Islam" and "Islam" are not synonyms. Gerry Mandell Ashland DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams