OPINION
LAWRENCE JOURNAL-WORLD ● LJWorld.com ● Saturday, May 7, 2011 WHERE TO WRITE Lawrence City Commission Aron Cromwell, mayor Cromwell Environmental, 1008 N.H., Suite 300., 66044, 749-6020 aroncromwell@gmail.com Bob Schumm, vice mayor 1729 St. Andrews Dr. 66047 842-6729 (H), 842-7337(W) schummfoods@gmail.com Mike Amyx 2312 Free State Lane 66047 843-3089 (H) 842-9425 (W) mikeamyx515@hotmail.com Hugh Carter 5111 Congressional Circle, D4, 764-3362 hughcarter@sunflower.com Michael Dever 1124 Oak Tree Drive 66049 550-4909 mdever@sunflower.com
Douglas County Commission Jim Flory, 540 N. 711 Road, Lawrence 66047; 842-0054 jimflory@sunflower.com Mike Gaughan, 304 Stetson Circle, 66049; 856-1662; mgaughan@douglas-county.com Nancy Thellman, 1547 N. 2000 Road 66046; 832-0031 nthellman@douglas-county.com
Lawrence School Board
Evil does not die of natural causes WASHINGTON — Two months and a day before 9/11, terrorism expert Larry C. Johnson published “The Declining Terrorist Threat,” a New York Times op-ed decrying the fact that “Americans are bedeviled by fantasies about terrorism,” when, in reality, “the decade beginning in 2000 will continue the downward trend” in lethal terrorism. Not quite. A decade later, Osama bin Laden is dead and the old chorus of pre-9/11 complacency has returned. The war on terror is over — yet again, it seems. Bin Laden was but “a distraction,” writes Peter Beinart, and the war on terror “a mistake from the start.” 9/11 was nothing more than “an isolated case,” argues Ross Douthat. And “ bin Laden was always the weak horse.” The new post-bin Laden dispensation is that the entire decade-long war on terror was an overreaction — as shown by the bin Laden operation itself, which, noted one critic, looks a lot like police work, the kind of law enforcement John Kerry insisted in 2004 was the proper prism through which to address the terror threat. On the contrary. The bin Laden operation is the perfect vindication of the war on terror. It was made possible precisely by the vast, war-like infrastructure that the Bush administration created post-
Charles Krauthammer
letters@charleskrauthammer.com
9/11, a fierce regime of capture and interrogation, of dropped bombs and commando strikes. That regime, of course, followed the more conventional war that brought down the Taliban, scattered and decimated alQaida and made bin Laden a fugitive. Without all of this, the bin Laden operation could never have happened. Whence came the intelligence that led to Abbottabad? Many places, including from secret prisons in Romania and Poland; from terrorists seized and kidnapped, then subjected to interrogations, sometimes “harsh” or “enhanced”; from Gitmo detainees; from a huge bureaucratic apparatus of surveillance and eavesdropping. In other words, from a Global War on Terror infrastructure that critics, including Barack Obama himself, deplored as a tragic detour from American rectitude. It was all not just un-American, now say the revisionists, but also unnecessary.
Really? We could never have pulled off the bin Laden raid without a major military presence in Afghanistan. The choppers came from our massive base at Bagram. The jump-off point was Jalalabad. The intelligence-gathering drones fly over Pakistan by grace of an alliance (unreliable but indispensable) forged with the U.S. to fight the war in Afghanistan. Even the war in Iraq played an (unintended) role. After its rout from Afghanistan, alQaida chose the troubled waters of Iraq as the central front in its war on America — and suffered a stunning defeat, made particularly humiliating when its fellow Sunni Arabs rose up to join the infidel Americans in subduing it. Bin Laden declared war on us in 1998. But it was not until 9/11 that we took him seriously. At which point, we answered with a declaration of war of our own, offering the brutal, unrelenting and ferocious response that war demands and that police work prohibits. Including, bin Laden’s execution. It’s clear there was no intention of capturing him. And for good reason. Doing so would have been insane, gratuitously granting him a second life of immense publicity on a worldwide stage from which to propagandize. We came to kill. That is
Rich Minder, president, 760-3791 (H) 1218 Del. No. 3, 66044 rminder@usd497.org
— Charles Krauthammer is a columnist for Washington Post Writers Group.
OLD HOME TOWN
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Mark Bradford, vice president 766-4392 1509 Brink Court, 66047 mbradfor@usd497.org
From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for May 7, 1911: YEARS “‘Less Food and AGO Better Cooking’ is a IN 1911 reform which the chemistry department of K.U. hopes to make as popular in Kansas as any economy in living is sure to be in these days of trusts and monopoly. Prof. E. S. H .Bailey is issuing this week little pamphlets containing nine suggestions intended to scientifically contribute towards a greater economy of food. They include: Stop eating more than is needed; do not waste good food by throwing it away; remember that food bought in small packages often costs more than it is worth; contradict the fallacy that ‘the most expensive food is best;’ do not purchase food out of season; remember that the best of food may be spoiled by bad cooking.”
Bob Byers, 842-8345 1707 E. 21st Ter., 66046 bbyers@usd497.org Mary Loveland, 842-9333 (H) 747 N. 1500 Road 66049 mlovelan@usd497.org Marlene Merrill, 832-2203 (H) 2917 Westdale Road 66049 mmerrill@usd497.org Scott Morgan 842-6268 (H) 1618 Inverness Drive, 66047 morgans@usd497.org Vanessa Sanburn, 856-1233, 765 Ash St., 66044 vsanburn@usd497.org
Area legislators Rep. Barbara Ballard (D-44th District) Room 451-S, State Capitol, Topeka 66612 Lawrence: 841-0063; Topeka: (785) 296-7697 barbara.ballard@house.ks.gov
what you do in war. Do that in police work — and you’ve committed murder. The Navy SEALs who pulled the fateful trigger would be facing charges, not receiving medals. You want to say we’ve now won the war? Fine. It’s at least an arguable proposition. After all, the war on terror will end one day and we will return to policing the odd terrorist nutcase. I would argue, however, that while bin Laden’s death marks an extremely important inflection point in the fight against jihadism, it’s far too early to declare victory. Now, it is one thing to have an argument about whether it’s over. It’s quite another to claim that our reaching this happy day — during which we can even be debating whether victory has been achieved — has nothing to do with the war on terror of the previous decade. AlQaida is not subsiding on its own. It is not retiring from the field, having seen the error of its ways. It is not disappearing because of some inexorable law of history or nature. It is in retreat because of the terrible defeats it suffered once America decided to take up arms against it, a campaign known as the war on terror.
Historian, baseball lover a national treasure
Rep. Tom Sloan By Gene A. Budig Crestfallen dents.” Her latest foray into as we pledge to tell and retell (R-45th District) Room 55-S, following the the past, “Team of Rivals: The the stories of their lives,” she State Capitol, Topeka 66612 Major League Baseball departure of Political Genius of Abraham likes to remind her audiences. Lawrence: 841-1526; Topeka: remains the national pastime, the Dodgers Lincoln,” centers on political She is now working on a (785) 296-7654 and Doris Kearns Goodwin is for Los Angeclashes between Lincoln and new book that will be about tom.sloan@house.ks.gov a national treasure, or so les, years the officers of his Cabinet. Theodore Roosevelt, focusing Rep. Paul Davis believes MLB Commissioner later she The book will soon be made on his relationship with Bud Selig. (D-46th District) became a dieinto a Hollywood film direct- William Howard Taft, the Dr. Kearns Goodwin trav- hard fan of Room 359-W, State Capitol, ed by Academy Award winner election of 1912 and the els the United States, lectur- the Boston Budig Topeka 66612 Steven Spielberg and starring treacherous journalism of the Lawrence: 749-1942; Topeka: ing on historic giants — Abra- Red Sox and fellow Oscar winners Daniel Progressive era. ham Lincoln, Lyndon John- Fenway Park (785) 296-7630 Day-Lewis and Sally Field. In 1975, Kearns married son, the Kennedys, Franklin while studying for a Ph.D. at paul.davis@house.ks.gov Kearns Goodwin recently Richard Goodwin, playwright and Eleanor Roosevelt — and Harvard University. The received the prestigious Ted and presidential adviser, Rep. TerriLois Gregory on the magic of baseball. She noted historian has had sea- Kennedy Award for Writing, speechwriter to both John F. (R-10th District) often likens the two unique son tickets for 30 consecutive bestowed by the College Kennedy and Lyndon JohnDocking State Office Building, American subjects. years and accumulated a trove Board and its president, Gas- son. Topeka 66612 The Pulitzer Prize-winning of cherished memories. And ton Caperton. “She is so alive Despite her many commitBaldwin City: (785) 222-0445; biographer and historian though her father passed with ideas,” Caperton said ments across America, she Topeka: (785) 296-7646; from Brooklyn grew up cheer- away in her 20s, Doris has after presenting the national always finds time to return to terrilois.gregory@house.ks.gov ing for the Dodgers until the handed down his love of the award. the inner peace found at histeam’s “fateful move to Los game to her three sons. Kearns Goodwin especially toric Fenway Park. Few things Rep. Ann Mah (D-53rd District) Angeles.” She especially “Few understand baseball enjoys “the drama of the on are of more importance to her Docking State Office Building, admired Jackie Robinson, Roy and politics like Doris does,” field activities.” She regards than rekindling cherished Topeka 66612 Campanella, Pee Wee Reese said Selig, who often invites herself as a story teller. memories. Topeka: (785) 296-7668; — Gene A. Budig is the former and Duke Snider, and learned her and columnist George “The love of history has ann.mah@house.ks.gov chancellor/president of three major at age 6 to keep score so she Will to share his World Series allowed me to spend a lifeRep. Anthony Brown could record the history of the box. “Nothing escapes her.” time looking back at the past state universities (Illinois State University, West Virginia University, (R-38th District) event for her father, who She recently told a New and remembering that people and Kansas University), and past Room 151-S, State Capitol, insisted on revisiting the York audience that she has we have lost in our families Topeka 66612 afternoon games at Ebbets spent “most of my profession- and the public figures we have president of Major League Baseball’s Eudora: 542-2293; Topeka: Field with her. American League. al life living with dead presi- respected can live on, so long (785) 296-7679 anthony.brown@house.ks.gov LAWRENCE What the Lawrence Sen. Marci Francisco THE WORLD COMPANY ® (D-2nd District) Journal-World stands for Dolph C. Simons Jr., Chairman Room 134-E, State Capitol, ● Accurate and fair news reporting. ESTABLISHED 1891 Topeka 66612 ● No mixing of editorial opinion with Dolph C. Simons III, Dan C. Simons, Lawrence: 842-6402; Topeka: W.C. Simons (1871-1952); Publisher, 1891-1944 reporting of the news. (785) 296-7364 President, Newspapers President, Electronics ● Safeguarding the rights of all citizens Dolph Simons Sr. (1904-1989) marci.francisco@senate.ks.gov Division Division
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Sen. Tom Holland Dolph C. Simons Jr., Editor (D-3rd District) Room 134-E, State Capitol, Topeka 66612 Dennis Anderson, Managing Editor Ann Gardner, Editorial Page Editor Lawrence: 865-2786; Topeka: Chris Bell, Circulation Manager Caroline Trowbridge, Community Editor 296-7372 Ed Ciambrone, Production Manager Edwin Rothrock, Director of Market tom.holland@senate.ks.gov Strategies
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PUBLIC FORUM
Rising values To the editor: Homeowners DO notice how the property tax values continue to go up while property sale values go down in a recession. The problem is, the county compares your property to five houses that the computer picks out, not necessarily in the same area, but the same square feet and style. The reason owners do not appeal is because of the cost for an independent appraisal, court and attorney fees, time and stress. All this will probably cost more than the extra taxes. Homeowners insurance goes up too, not because of the inflated appraisals exactly but of the replacement value. Meanwhile seniors are living on a fixed income with no cost of living adjustment like Congress has. Maybe a class action lawsuit for honest appraisals is necessary. Mary Ann Kieffer, Lawrence
American dream To the editor: Diminish the American dream? (“U.S. must adjust expectations,” Journal-World, May 1). Wake up, Mr. Gurley! Didn’t we just eliminate the No. 1 plague of American happiness? Turn on the sunshine music. It’s still morning in America, and our best days are just over the horizon. Fall of Rome? What are you talking about? Nero never possessed 10 aircraft carrier groups, Caligula never commanded thousands of manned aircraft and ballistic missiles, and Maximus never owned tanks, attack helicopters or armed drones. We may be indebted up to our necks, and addicted to cheap energy and promises, but fed by the 24/7 bread and circus industry, the American people are not about to give up their pleasures or delusions without a fight. Ray Finch, Lawrence
Pakistan puzzle To the editor: We are all trying to decide whether or not we should support Pakistan, or if Pakistan is a friend or foe. The reality is that Pakistan is on the verge of becoming a theocratic state controlled by right-wing Muslims. Those presently in control are caught between a rock and a hard spot as they attempt to placate the Muslim extremists, maintain a democracy, and stay friendly with other civilized nations. Every time our state department or military attempts to influence this delicate balance we seem to create more problems for those we are trying to support. But the fact is we cannot influence or control Pakistan’s destiny. The people of that nation must determine their own future. If they want to lose their freedom and slink back to a primitive theocratic state, there is nothing we can do to prevent it. If you want to envision how complicated this is, try to imagine what it would be like to maintain a responsible, democratic nation if the rightwing Christian Conservatives and the Tea Party gang actually controlled more than 50 percent of our government. Freedom as we know it would become a fond memory. The fact is we do not have the money, power or right to dictate values. We obviously want the people in Pakistan to continue their democratic state, but it is their state and their struggle. E. Kent Hayes, Lawrence
Letters Policy
The Journal-World welcomes letters to the Public Forum. Letters should be 250 words or less, be of public interest and should avoid name-calling and libelous language. The Journal-World reserves the right to edit letters, as long as viewpoints are not altered. By submitting letters, you grant the Journal-World a nonexclusive license to publish, copy and distribute your work, while acknowledging that you are the author of the work. Letters must bear the name, address and telephone number of the writer. Letters may be submitted by mail to Box 888, Lawrence Ks. 66044 or by e-mail to: letters@ljworld.com