Intervening in Bosnia

God bless America and God bless President Clinton for his wisdom, humanity and tenacity in making the first move toward intervening in Bosnia. As the Bush Administration looked the other way, tens of thousands of Serbs, Croats and Muslims have been killed and wounded in the bloodiest of civil wars. Even more devastating have been the incredible reports of “rape” and “concentration” camps, instruments of ethnic cleansing. Have the horrors of World War II already been forgotten?

There is not one justifiable argument against U.S. involvement in the former Yugoslavian republics. Some say a “war” there (and that is not what is being contemplated by the President or the secretary of state) is not “winnable,” but this is just not an acceptable excuse.

Others say it is a European problem that should be handled by the Europeans. That’s all fine and dandy, but it is not being handled by the Europeans (with the exception of some peacekeeping forces of Britain and France) and won’t be until we first take the initiative. Like it or not we have put a lot of effort, money and lives over the past 50 years into becoming the sole superpower and this is one of the responsibilities that goes with the territory.

We are a great humanitarian nation and cannot let these atrocities continue. We are all aware, Clinton in particular, of the overwhelming problems plaguing our own country, but we have not carved out an isolationist role in this world and our unique giving heart must prevail to those less fortunate.

BRADEN MICHAELS

Brentwood