Letters to Artvoice

A CITY WITH NO POLICE

It seems as though the Buffalo police are already on strike (“Imagine a City With No Plice,” Artvoice v6n10) with the lack of response or care to calls made this past Thursday, March 8, between 3pm and 4pm. It all started when I was returning to my office on Main near Chippewa Street after running some errands for my boss. When I came to the corner steps in front of the First Niagara Bank I was blocked by a group of approximately 5-6 high school kids who would not move and even started using degrading name-calling when I walked around them. After flipping them off, half of them started to follow me. I actually felt fear in downtown Buffalo during broad day light and called 911 from my office.

When getting through to a female dispatcher, I told her what happened and she proceeded to say “Okay, we’ll send a car over there.” She didn’t even take down my name or a description. How would anyone know who to look for or make a report if I wasn’t there? So after an hour of peeking out to see if any cars did come by: none. I then called the B-District main number (the station is only a few doors down from my office and the incident) only to find out my phone call at 3pm never got processed, meaning someone didn’t even care, not doing their job. The woman then said a car would come over and meet me at my office. Another hour (it was now 5pm) and no car ever showed up. I’m fed up and go home. I am now trying to figure out two things: Are the police already on strike? And who can I complain to about this situation?

Giovanni Centurione

Buffalo

Let’s pretend that it is 200 years ago and we all live in a small village. The population is getting larger, year by year, and we start experiencing public problems. Bullies are trying to push people around. Vandals are becoming a problem in the local church. Home break-ins are getting too numerous for comfort.

So we (the village, democratically) decide to hire a few of our strong, young men to protect us. They are hired by the village government, in our name, to enforce the rules and laws that we have decided on for our lives. And then, after a couple of years, we start taking these protectors for granted and, forgetting the incipient lawlessness and violence, start complaining that they cost too much. We make deals with them for salary and then ignore our promises. And we complain when they aren’t immediately present when we have a need.

Is this common sense? Is this even rational? Should we feel “abused” if they quit and move to a neighboring village where the people aren’t so forgetful?

Jim Scandale

Buffalo

WORLD WAR III

A timely appeal for peace from a veteran of World War II—the war to end all wars. World War III could do just that. What would be left to fight over?

Sunday morning February 25, with Wolf Blitzer, CNN 30 Television News: Republican Congressman Duncan Hunter, running for president, said, “We must protect Israel!”

It would be easier if Israel left Palestinian territory, which should have been done after the occupation of Palestinian land, following the Arab/Israeli wars of 1948 and 1967. (UN Resolution 242 and the 4th Geneva Convention require the victor to leave captured territory at war’s end.) The Israelis, led by General Moshe Dayan and Chief-of-Staff, General Yitzak Rabin, won both wars.

In accordance with the 4th Geneva Convention, on which the UN resolution was based, the victorious Allied armies left conquered countries after World War II. America rebuilt Europe and Japan for post-war trade and development that soon restored those countries.

Israel’s supporters in America have money and influence. The Israeli lobby in Washington, DC works on behalf of Israel. Our ally was created at a very dangerous time after World War II, when the USSR was expanding its influence in the Middle East. After their country was divided to make room for Israel, the Palestinians fell on hard times. Neighboring Arab states were unhappy. Israel got guns, airplanes and billions of dollars from Uncle Sam.

That was almost 60 years ago. The nation that created Israel now accedes to Israel’s wishes more often than not.

America is a nation of 300 million people. The richest, most powerful country in the world. There’s nothing that America can’t do—and do better than most other countries. But four years of war against Iraq, a small third world country of 35 million, created problems at home and showed how vulnerable we are.

In hindsight, better planning may have brought victory in Iraq. But as Scottish poet Robert Burns said, “The best laid plans of mice and men gang aft angly [go wrong].”

George W. Bush went to war against an Arab midget that looked like a pushover. Arab insurgents, who don’t lack courage, rushed in to help. It’s not the first time that that has happened. It shows how unpredictable wars can be. In 1776, King George III’s redcoats found how difficult insurgents (rebels) were to deal with. The rebels won that war and changed the course of history.

Though Israel has become a power to be reckoned with, but it lies half a world away and is surrounded by justifiably hostile Arabs who have their sympathizers. Who can guarantee that our overstretched military would be able to protect us, should another war develop? It is highly irresponsible for the nuclear partnership of America, Israel, Great Britain, etc., to assume that the other half of the nuclear equation led by Russia, China, North Korea, etc., are not prepared to defend against us.

Nuclear bombs force us to replace wars with efforts for peace. The Iraq Study Group picked diplomacy over war. It is our only hope. Spread the word. Bring our troops home. Help rebuild Iraq. Let us end the suffering of the Palestinians and the anguish and mistrust that exists in the entire Middle East region.

Terence S. Underwood

Tonawanda