This article was originally published in The Cornell Daily Sun, Volume CII, Number 126, 16 April 1986. It was the guest feature article, appearing on page 5. See Source article (in new browser window/tab).
Face it. We’re scared. Today was National “Talk-About-What-Happened-Yesterday” day. Shock, anger and not a small undercurrent of agreement swept the campus last night after the news of “our” attack on Libya. And we’re scared.
There hasn’t been enough time for an opinion poll as yet, and I myself found a wide variety of different views. But a feeling prevalent in almost all of those different views was surprise. Sure, some argue, terrorist acts can’t go unnoticed. Yes, others claim, we’ve been too slow imposing, and too lenient with, our sanctions. But whatever your point, no one seems untouched by the reality of such a violent act. Such a show of strength is a harsh one. And no one, when it comes down to it, seems ready or willing to face the reality of a war.
America has grown laconic. Stifled by the media and by opposing ideas in its houses of assembly, it is slow to react even in releasing a controversial statement to the press. Once it was the strong voice in this brave new world, the big apple in the barrel. Enter into the equation the Korean and Vietnam “conflicts.” The enemy is less palpable, less tangible — America’s enemy is now a color. She is, we are, “anti-Red.” And how do you fight a color?
America found out hard it is to fight an idea. We have always fought for ideas, but now we’re fighting ideas themselves. Theories. Not a deranged group of evil nasty Nazis who are all that we are not, but people. We did not win the last war — “conflict” we were in. You can beat someone up, you can kill them, but you can’t change what they think, not deep down.
Now it is old. Its bones are brittle, its politics are hoary and full of cobwebs and contradictions. We deal in talk. In a sense, we have learned, for we now deal in ideas. To flex a muscle now causes groans of protest in our muscles. But whatever America does now, it will not change all that. America is old, bent, unaccustomed to such action.
There are choices to be made now. And you and 1 will not be the ones to make these choices. We made our decision, the country as a whole did, when we elected those who now hold office. Like the 18-year-olds who voted for Cuomo, we put in our bid for the best representation without knowing that (the drinking age) (war) this situation, this choice, would arise.
There are decisions to be made, and they will be made by those who will see they are backed up. These are no deposit-no return representatives; we can’t return them, or exchange them for newer people in the office. And so the decisions are ours, no deposit-no return.
This may or may not be the last act of aggression on “our” — the United States’ — part concerning Libya; it certainly won’t stop terrorism. But if you take a moment, you will realize what the people around you think behind their cries of “Blow them up!” or “Stop this now!” They’re scared.
I’m scared. Aren’t you?
— Sami Besalel
At the time of publication, Sami Besalel was a Junior in the College of Arts and Sciences at Ithaca's Cornell University.
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