UNCLE SAM STRIKES AGAIN

It's a sad irony that America chose to intervene in the Libyan civil war on March 19th, the eighth anniversary of our catastrophic war in Iraq, where 50,000 GI's amid dozens of military bases continue to defile that pitiful land, smashed to bits by America's might.

Unfortunately, Uncle Sam cannot resist blasting another oil rich country with our Tomahawk cruise missiles when such a repellent strongman as Muammar Kaddafi tries to hold onto power in a vast land of feudal tribes masquerading as a country.

Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya all bear little resemblance to real, functioning countries with a unified culture and populous. The various tribes and religions have been fighting each other for centuries and no doubt will still be fighting each other centuries from today. We care not one whit about civilian casualties. If we did we would have prosecuted the leaders of our country for inflicting millions of casualties and refugees over there in our lust for empire and oil.

But when American Presidents are powerless to achieve meaningful progress in a declining economic power at home, it sure must feel good to push a button and watch as America's most prosperous export, weapons of human destruction, shows another sorrowful land America's true greatness.

EYE OPENER

It is disheartening to see a major Illinois political figure, State Senator Kirk Dillard, trying to bring back the death penalty in Illinois when the ink on Governor Quinn's signature abolishing it is barely dry (Tribune Op Ed, March 18).

In Dillard's bizarre heart and soul, all life is precious, except for certain undesirables who Dillard feels it's OK to target for state sponsored murder. Is there any real difference between heinous violent criminals and those who delight in committing murder under color of law to achieve some sort of "justice?" Both feed their bloodlust but the latter do it with a moral self righteousness which is not only disgusting, but needlessly contributes to the acceptance of violence as a means of solving societal problems.

Dillard, amazingly, contradicts himself in the last paragraph. He starts with: "I do not believe the death penalty is an effective deterrent to crime", but concludes by quoting former Texas Governor George W. Bush: "I think the reason to support the death penalty is because it saves other people's lives." Which is it Senator?

George W. Bush should be the last person on Earth to use as a character witness for supporting the death penalty. As Texas Governor, he appeared to be in a contest with Florida Governor and brother Jeb, to see who could execute the most death row inmates. After winning that contest, George "failed up" to President where he went on to launch a needless war against Iraq resulting in hundreds of thousands of unnecessary deaths including over 4,400 American pieces of canon fodder. Would George W. Bush qualify under Dillard's Senate Bill 2277 as the "worst of the worst" to be earmarked for an early grave at the hands of his fellow man?

After Governor Quinn's courageous action, the 16th President began resting a bit more easily at Oak Ridge Cemetery, enjoying the irony of Illinois being the 16th state to hop off the "kill your fellow man" train. With Dillard's bill an eye has opened to keep watch that his beloved Illinois does not back slide into the barbarity it has so recently turned its back on. The only thing Senator Dillard should consider killing...is SB 2277.