America acts like a pious giant

This is part one of a three-part series of articles
written by or responded to by me.

This was a letter to the editor of the West Valley View published on October 20, 2004. I submitted a rebuttal to this entry and have it posted here under the headline "Who will lead, if not America?" This gentleman has been published a number of times in the past and gives me the impression that he sees all religious people as dividers of humankind rather than as genuine seekers of God. I have not included any of his other writings here because they are not directly related to what I have responded to. Have fun!

To the editor:

Admittedly, I am utterly incapable of understanding the view that one can best support the troops by not questioning the egregiously wrong-headed policies that put, and keeps, them in harms way. But, it is even more difficult for me to comprehend the arrogant imperialistic belief that only this Great Christian Nation has the "God-given?" right to devise, produce, stockpile and/or use weapons of mass destruction. Nor can I fathom the idea that we (and only we) must save people from tyrants -- even if we have to kill them to save them.

Every one of the inane rationalizations used to "justify" the debacle in Iraq is a rehashing of the horrific rationalizations for the Vietnam disaster.

When will this super-moralistic nation stop wasting its dwindling resources and its precious youth to destroy, and then rebuild (to our own demands) smaller and weaker nations?
I'm not sure that the rest of humankind will tolerate this pious giant much longer.

C. Victor Gabriel
Tonopah