As bombs raid down on Kabul, the people of Afghanistan hide in fear, as some others prepare themselves for the long battles they are about to encounter. On the other hand, others flee to the nearby borders seeking some form of refuge. No one can forget the tragic events of Sept. 11, nothing can clear our minds of everything that is happening in the world around us today, we can try to focus on further things but the domination of the mass media is concentrated on this war against terrorism.
The world has been at war for two weeks now, since Oct. 7 and most people have no idea of the events to come, we could be faced with a million kinds of protests in any shape or form, but who will ever know when and where. The struggle seems that it will be a long one that will take years to overcome because it is a battle against terrorist organizations worldwide not just in one country, now is just the pinpoint of the war.
As the fears of more attacks remain in the minds of individuals, to top it off we are bombarded with another scare, anthrax. The days of simple chicken pox seem to be somewhat over. Bombing and anthrax are preoccupying the newspapers, radio, internet and television
Each and every day brings attacks against the Taliban, where the routes of the operations seem to be. But as one country is being bombed other terrorists groups are amassing. Forces across the world have joined hands in the battle to rid terrorist organizations and terrorism. The question it comes down to be when will this be all over and will the world ever go back to a normal state?
A group of Concordia students speak out and let us know if they think war is the answer to terrorism.
In a democratic world, all religions, races, and ethnicity’s would live together in harmony. War would be a figment of one’s imagination. However, not everyone shares this worldview and hence, terrorism comes into the picture.
“What we must realize is that the people who did this terrorist act are from a different mentality with no real future or education. Our world and their world are two worlds apart. They cannot help but think differently,” points out Johnathan Mina, 22, an English Literature and Liberal Arts major.
“I don’t totally agree with what [the Americans] are doing. Yes, Bush is doing the right thing by not saying, ‘Full-fledged war and lets make World War 3.’ The Americans didn’t immediately strike back because they [knew] it could lead to a war, yet they have to get rid of terrorism,” says Mina.
“However, in the respect that there are innocent people who will die, to bomb the whole country is a bit extreme.” Melissa Gamache, a 19-year-old English Literature student, agrees. “We haven’t learned anything from our past experiences. President Bush needs a major history lesson. Losing lives is not the answer. Getting the person or group responsible… is how he should go about this situation. We need justice not war. ”
Can extreme be combatted with extreme? Since it is unlikely that debate can solve this issue, what extremes must we go to in order to stop the extreme of terrorism. Matthew Paradis, a 19-year-old psychology student believes that action has already been taken. “They’re tightening security at airports and they are trying to prevent the same thing from happening.”
However, how should Canadians respond to this horror? “Canada should not get too involved in this matter. We are a peaceful country so let us remain that way,” says Sarah Osei-Mensah, a 21-year-old classics and modern languages student. “If anything, Canada should not be so lenient in letting anybody in the country. We can do our part by not allowing terrorists in our land. Tighten security.”
Ultimately, the question that it all boils down to is: is there a right way to deal with terrorism? Although divided in opinion, people do wonder if this war against terrorism will accomplish anything. “Possibly it will accomplish unity among our nations and a safer place to live,” says Brenda Fulton, an independent student
Roger Lam disagrees. “War against terrorism sounds good on paper and all, but I don’t think it can be done in a permanent way,” says the 19-year-old English Literature student. “There will always be people dissatisfied with the status quo and prepared to change it forcibly. There will always be power-hungry people [who] are willing to take power.”
The world has been at war for two weeks now, since Oct. 7 and most people have no idea of the events to come, we could be faced with a million kinds of protests in any shape or form, but who will ever know when and where. The struggle seems that it will be a long one that will take years to overcome because it is a battle against terrorist organizations worldwide not just in one country, now is just the pinpoint of the war.
As the fears of more attacks remain in the minds of individuals, to top it off we are bombarded with another scare, anthrax. The days of simple chicken pox seem to be somewhat over. Bombing and anthrax are preoccupying the newspapers, radio, internet and television
Each and every day brings attacks against the Taliban, where the routes of the operations seem to be. But as one country is being bombed other terrorists groups are amassing. Forces across the world have joined hands in the battle to rid terrorist organizations and terrorism. The question it comes down to be when will this be all over and will the world ever go back to a normal state?
A group of Concordia students speak out and let us know if they think war is the answer to terrorism.
In a democratic world, all religions, races, and ethnicity’s would live together in harmony. War would be a figment of one’s imagination. However, not everyone shares this worldview and hence, terrorism comes into the picture.
“What we must realize is that the people who did this terrorist act are from a different mentality with no real future or education. Our world and their world are two worlds apart. They cannot help but think differently,” points out Johnathan Mina, 22, an English Literature and Liberal Arts major.
“I don’t totally agree with what [the Americans] are doing. Yes, Bush is doing the right thing by not saying, ‘Full-fledged war and lets make World War 3.’ The Americans didn’t immediately strike back because they [knew] it could lead to a war, yet they have to get rid of terrorism,” says Mina.
“However, in the respect that there are innocent people who will die, to bomb the whole country is a bit extreme.” Melissa Gamache, a 19-year-old English Literature student, agrees. “We haven’t learned anything from our past experiences. President Bush needs a major history lesson. Losing lives is not the answer. Getting the person or group responsible… is how he should go about this situation. We need justice not war. ”
Can extreme be combatted with extreme? Since it is unlikely that debate can solve this issue, what extremes must we go to in order to stop the extreme of terrorism. Matthew Paradis, a 19-year-old psychology student believes that action has already been taken. “They’re tightening security at airports and they are trying to prevent the same thing from happening.”
However, how should Canadians respond to this horror? “Canada should not get too involved in this matter. We are a peaceful country so let us remain that way,” says Sarah Osei-Mensah, a 21-year-old classics and modern languages student. “If anything, Canada should not be so lenient in letting anybody in the country. We can do our part by not allowing terrorists in our land. Tighten security.”
Ultimately, the question that it all boils down to is: is there a right way to deal with terrorism? Although divided in opinion, people do wonder if this war against terrorism will accomplish anything. “Possibly it will accomplish unity among our nations and a safer place to live,” says Brenda Fulton, an independent student
Roger Lam disagrees. “War against terrorism sounds good on paper and all, but I don’t think it can be done in a permanent way,” says the 19-year-old English Literature student. “There will always be people dissatisfied with the status quo and prepared to change it forcibly. There will always be power-hungry people [who] are willing to take power.”
