Opinion

War is deadlier than Columbia

Shireen Connor
Opinion Columnist

The past week has been an exhausting one for Americans. On last Tuesday night a large majority of the population, freshly inspired by the Presidentis State of the Union address, was experiencing a renewed desire to go to war. The minority was busy spreading their own anti-war ideals as quickly and effectively as possible. Meanwhile, countless unemployed citizens were hustling the streets and classified sections searching for work.

All were taken aback Saturday with the news that Columbia exploded over our country, strewing its precious remains over three states. Suddenly, we were all left with a sense of bewilderment and melancholy. It is a marvel, really, to see how the death of seven individuals can stop an entire country dead in its tracks.

Those seven individuals were parents, siblings, coworkers, neighbors and last but not least, human beings. While we can and should mourn the loss of the astronauts and the tragedy of their plight, I think it is also important to look at their deaths as a learning experience. The lesson: just how valuable human life is.

It is my sincerest concern that we will all walk away from the Columbia catastrophe with a more disapproving attitude regarding death and one of its major causes -- war. War, whether it be for legitimate or illegitimate purposes, leads to extensive human casualties, environmental ruin and countless broken hearts. 

The Physicians for Social Responsibility concluded in a study that a full-scale invasion of Iraq could lead to the deaths of upwards of 80,000 innocent civilians. Among those civilians are parents, siblings, coworkers and last but not least, human beings.

I tried to find a reputable source that quoted the number of U.S. soldiers who have died to date fighting in Afghanistan. I failed, but I did come across another interesting war statistic. Does anybody remember the failed U.S. intervention in Somalia in 1993? It led to the creation of countless books, a movie or two and the deaths of 18 Americans. 

Do you know who those Americans were? They were parents, siblings … you get the point. Just because somebody you never met has the misfortune of living in a Third World country with a crackhead tyrant in power doesnit make their life any more or less valuable than yours, mine, an astronautis or a soldieris.

In the spirit of the Columbia tragedy I urge you to find compassion in your hearts and time in your day to encourage the president to find a more peaceful method of obtaining a desirable outcome in the current state of international affairs. A little bit of consultation and a little less aggression never hurt anybody. But we all learned that on the playground in grade school, not in this past week, right? 

Connor, a junior psychology major, can be reached at moxiegirl22@hotmail.com.

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