Editor,
In today’s 24-hour news cycle, our nation has developed a remarkably short attention span. It has been just over a week since President Obama’s speech regarding the Syrian Civil War, and I fear I may already be too late in writing this letter — interest may have waned too much for this letter to be published.
We cannot get involved in Syria. I was undecided on the issue until I read an article written by a Western journalist in which he described the brutal execution of a Syrian soldier by rebel fighters; it was the fourth execution that day. There was no trial, judge, or jury. Just a blindfolded young man having his throat cut, while a crowd of people watched.
A democratic society must first embrace the values upon which democracy is based — the first of which is a basic respect for human life. There is no foundation in Syria on which a democracy can be built — no law, no order, no reason. Any sort of military intervention will only increase the chaos and loss of life.
While the use of chemical weapons is horrific, we simply do not know enough to justify a military strike. Furthermore, the United Nations was created to counter a greater threat to humanity — nuclear proliferation. International organizations such as the UN exist to encourage diplomatic solutions to international conflicts, and it is imperative that we deal with the Syrian conflict through diplomatic channels.
Military action without the Security Council’s approval would weaken the legitimacy of the UN, and provide even more reason for countries such as North Korea and Iran to pursue nuclear weapons development. Leaders in these countries know that if international law does not deter us from military action, the threat of nuclear war will.
It is in the best interests of humanity as a whole, now and in the future, that the United States does not act. Humanitarian aid, sure: but military action in Syria would only destabilize an already volatile region and make peaceful resolutions more difficult in the future.
Why would we intervene, anyway? I can understand why some citizens may feel a moral obligation to help innocent Syrians — but protecting the lives of an entire country is not a simple process.
It wasn’t simple in Iraq or Afghanistan. It won’t be simple now.
In addition, we have problems of our own — and they’re not getting solved, because nobody cares anymore. One in five Americans approves of Congress — yet incumbents keep winning. Every time there is a mass shooting, we rage about gun control — then forget about it once football season starts. Young people pay attention to marijuana policies — yet they don’t know how or why it’s illegal in the first place.
It does not seem like our country is headed in the right direction. We could try to Occupy Wall Street again, but it seems that open-minded, thoughtful conversation is a better option. We, The People of the United States, need to make some changes, and if we still disapprove of Congress, we can always send them to Syria.
J. Toth
UNM student
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