Searching for the Roots of Terrorism

Re “War, the Mother of Inventions,” July 17: Isn’t the real “mother of inventions” human creativity? War is the “mother” of a lot of other things--fear, for example, and hysterical circumscription of our freedoms, not to mention the loss of innocent lives.

The inventions that are being promoted now in the guise of “homeland security” are blatant exploitations of our current fears; they may stimulate a fading economy temporarily but will not help the American people in the long run. Nor will they save us from “terrorism,” which has causes and effects that go far beyond surveillance devices and neighborhood informers. Will we ever address the roots of those causes and effects? I am beginning to doubt it, sad to say.

Jean Gerard

Temple City