Opinion
 

Nation's future at hand

Ken Stocks

There has never been a more important period in the history of this country than right now. Throughout time there have been few systems of government that have remained intact as long as our republic. But there are people out there who would like nothing better than to bring our country crashing down like the Twin Towers on 9/11.

What this nation does in the next year will decide your future, your children's future and the future of people worldwide.

This country has to step up as a leader of nations and confront the terrorists who seek to destroy our way of life. There is no alternative. As deeply as the events of 9/11 have affected us all, they pale in comparison to what could happen in the future. Nuclear bombs, biological attacks and other threats could kill hundreds of thousands of people and destroy our way of life. 

There is a lot of "finger pointing" going on as evidenced by the 9/11 hearings in Congress. But regardless of blame for the past, the emphasis should be on the future.

Recently it has been reported that there is a terrorist threat to the petrochemical industry in the Houston area. This should bring the importance of our war on terrorism home to each of us at UH. A weapon not much larger than a briefcase could carry a nuclear device. 

If it were detonated at a height of 2,500 feet over the petrochemical plants near the Houston Ship Channel, the blast would kill most of the people in a six-mile radius immediately. Many more within a 14-mile radius would die as a result of radiation. The downtown business district, the Medical Center and this campus all lie within that 14-mile radius. This is a nightmare scenario that could affect each of us at this university.

As a conservative I don't agree with everything done during President Bush's term in office. However, when it comes to his War on Terror, I am 100 percent in favor of his actions. The idea of a man like John Kerry leading this nation scares me to death. Kerry was an ineffective leader under the Clinton administration. Still, Kerry tried to do as much damage to this country as he could. 

He voted against the military and most of the weapon programs that have been used by our troops in this war on terrorism. 

He helped as Clinton gutted the ability of our intelligence agencies to protect us from these attacks.

If your primary source for information has been television, newspapers, school and MTV then you might want to read my column over the next few weeks as I discuss conservative opinions. 

The above-mentioned sources are mostly slanted to a liberal point of view and you might find that you agree more with the truth about conservatives and their positions than you think.

Many students are going to have a chance to vote for a president for the first time in this election. Regardless of who you decide to vote for, I encourage you to live up to your responsibility and register to vote. The 2000 election demonstrated that every single vote has an impact.

This election will determine the course this country takes through the rough waters of the future.

Stocks, a columnist for The Daily Cougar, can be reached at conservative_columnist@yahoo.com.