Beyond war

By Tony Staley
Compass Editor

This week the country observed the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. One aftermath of the attacks was the "war on terrorism." It sought to stop any attempted domestic attacks, thus making us all feel safe and secure.

But polls say Americans still don't feel safe and secure, though certainly our fears don't rise to the level we felt on Sept. 11 and the days immediately after.

Given Americans' high levels of concern, our national leaders would be wise to end the "war on terrorism." That does not mean we should stop our efforts to thwart, apprehend and frustrate the efforts of terrorists. But we do need to shift from the idea of "war" to one of "police work."

Obviously, much of what's being done to combat terrorism is police work, so our language should reflect that.

Why? Wars, besides carrying high costs - in human lives and financially - inspire people to fight. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor didn't convince the U.S. to surrender, but to fight back and eventually triumph. Plus, wars too often create new enemies and serve to lead to the next war. World War I, for example, led to the conditions that caused World War II.

Instead, we should look at the British experience in Northern Ireland. They did not end the troubles by declaring war, but by dogged police work to contain the violence as much as possible and by promoting dialogue.

War begets war, not peace and security.