Who will lead, if not America?

This is part two of a series of articles
written by or responded to by me.

This is a copy of a letter I had published in the West Valley View published on Wednesday, October 27, 2004.

To the editor:

I would like to respond to C. Victor Gabriel’s commentary headlined “America acts like a pious giant.” Mr. Gabriel has been published many times in this section of the View and has even submitted a very respectful, oppositional response to one of my previous letters. I find him very thoughtful and well-spoken but have been stirred by a common thread that I have seen in many of his writings.

Mr. Gabriel, please do not make the error in believing that those with Judeo-Christian values are merely in the business of trampling the world in the name of dispensing God-given freedom or that we place ourselves at the apex of morality as we look down with disdain on those below us.

With that said, I understand that many people view any war or any display of superior power as a black mark on a good reputation. You mentioned in your last article that you couldn’t fathom the idea of America taking the super-moralistic role of ridding the world of tyrants. You also mentioned an arrogant imperialistic belief that leads us to “devise, produce, stockpile and/or use weapons of mass destruction.” While I understand the approach you take to opposing these things, I have yet to hear a better solution.

If America does not take an active role in standing up to dangerous, irresponsible dictators, then who will? You may not like the idea of the U.S. having the most superior arsenal of firepower in the world, but who would you rather have wielding that sort of power? No matter what happens, some country will have to have a superior military. If I had to give that power to someone, I’d give it to America in a heartbeat. Who would you choose?

Michael Gray
Avondale