The Mood at Home : As Gulf War Looms, Opinions Range From ‘Go for the Gusto’ to ‘Pull Out’

Like Americans in general, Ventura County residents seem divided about going to war with Iraq over Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait, judging by random interviews around the county Monday.

In an unscientific, “man in the street” survey, The Times went to restaurants, schools, office buildings, parking lots, street corners and a downtown Ventura bar and asked what the United States should do if Iraq ignores tonight’s deadline to leave Kuwait.

Here is a sampling of responses to the question: “If Iraq fails to pull out of Kuwait by the Jan. 15 deadline, what should the United States do?”

Bill Stack, retired teacher, Westlake Village

“We have no alternative but to go to war. I get the impression that he has called our bluff. It’s a no-win situation. . . a bad, bad, bad situation.”

Janet Walker, bookstore manager at California Lutheran University, Thousand Oaks

“We should continue to pursue a peaceful solution. . . . I don’t think it’s anything we should be involved in. Basically, it’s Kuwait’s problem. That’s mean to say, but their fellow Arabs didn’t help them when Iraq invaded. It just doesn’t seem to be our fight.”

Jane Robinson, owner of Rendezvous Lounge, Ventura

“We should go for the gusto. If we don’t do it now, what’s going to happen in the future if another country does the same thing? The whole world is with us.”

Anna Garcia, restaurant cashier, Oxnard

“I think we should give Iraq another chance. We should keep trying more and more to get peace. Otherwise a lot of innocent people will die.”

Janice Lebeck, supermarket cashier, Simi Valley

“I don’t think we should wait. I’m all for us taking action. We’ve given them plenty of time. I mean, basically, we do what we have to do--go to war. We can’t let them get away with anything.”

Sister Joseph Cecile, principal, Holy Cross School, Ventura

“We should support the United Nations resolutions. I don’t want it to be a U.S. decision. If the U.N. wants to put forces to the task, we should support that. If the U.N. is willing to wait, or to back down, we should go along with that.”

Diane Wells, homemaker, Port Hueneme

“We should pull out. I don’t think we should be there in the first place. . . . Why can’t Bush and Saddam sit down and talk like two adults? There has to be a compromise. Bush is too gung-ho for war.”

Lee Spates, plumber, Ventura

“I think we should have gone in there Jan. 1. . . . That man is not going to change. He’s another Hitler is what he is.”

Carl Belsi, systems analyst, Camarillo

“I think we should extend the deadline, not by much, but to the point where there’s no hope of them pulling out. If they don’t pull out, then I think we have to do something. We’ve made enough noise. We can’t back down or we’ll look foolish.”

Marty Luna, Ventura County sheriff’s deputy, Camarillo

“We start with aerial strikes and try to strike them as quickly as possible. . . . We’ve waited long enough for the sanctions to work. It seems like Hussein is not budging one bit. We’ve given him enough warning.”

Bryan Waits, retail clerk, Oxnard

“We gave them an ultimatum. We can’t go back on that. That would show that they could push us around. I don’t know if we should be in there, but now that we are, we have to do what we have to do.”

Stephen Pratt, unemployed, Ventura

“I think we should go into more meetings and discuss it further. Sometimes in order to get what you want, you have to sacrifice a little bit of anger and aggression. In the long run it pays off.”