It’s true you can’t bomb knowledge
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Editor,
The words hit me head-on. It was during a PBS roundtable discussion on the situation surrounding the negotiations on the Iranian nuclear bomb building capability.
Four people were talking about the need for more sanctions, less sanctions, more military threats and action or less military involvement, and all the “back and forth” around these opinions. Then one man on the panel said these words, which hit me head-on: “You can’t bomb knowledge and ideals.” Knowledge and ideals, of course, can range anywhere from horrible to honorable.
We all know the U.S. levels of frustration, politically partisan posturing and confusion surrounding the negotiation strategy with Iran. It seems to me, though, that as the cooler heads prevail in this strategy the world is taking that it is the only sensible action with Iran at this point in time. We in America don’t hear much about the attitudes of the international team of negotiators. We constantly, however, hear U.S. “talking heads,” politicians, pundits and “people of means” speaking as wise authorities on the subject.
It seems that in America our military might, our deep and abiding belief in strong military power, and our love of heroic feats in battle drive much of people’s “knowledge and ideals.” This whole discussion, in my view, makes questions like these very important for all of us to consider: (1) What sort of a society are we? (2) What sort of a democratic society do we want to be? (3) What are we teaching our kids about life? (4) What are the guiding principles America lives by? (5) Are these principles presently working?
It just seems that before all our so-called leaders and media organizations go too far pointing the fingers at others around the world, we have some mighty huge concerns right here at home in the teaching and learning arena which forms “knowledge and ideals.”
All change toward peace begins with each of us within our minds.
Bob McClellan
Polson
