Peace...the issue that dares not speak its name

For the 8th straight election since America embarked on perpetual criminal war around the planet, the peace issue was not on the ballot Tuesday. Not a Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Independent, Green or fringe party candidate dare raised the most important issue in our polity. They all realize perpetual war exists outside the political arena. They know there are no votes to be gained by talking peace when no one outside the less than 1% that fight these wars are directly impacted by them. They know that our economy depends on millions of jobs connected to funding the wars with hundreds of billions in weapons of civilian destruction (WCD) both used by our military and sold to our fellow warmongering nations like Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The know that preaching peace is viewed with the suspicion of being disloyal to the venerated few we send to fight these wars. They ignore the staggering rates of suicide, homelessness, mental illness and yes, mass murder (Thousand Oaks?), perpetrated by the vets that come home damaged in mind, if not body. The first question I ask any congressman I happen across in my political work is "What are you doing to end America's senseless wars in the eight countries we know of?" The look I get is something like "Why are you wasting my time?" Alas, nothing will change till a groundswell of the 250 million American voters ask the same question.

Walt Zlotow

Glen Ellyn