Visiting in Portland for a little R & R, plus time for quiet meditation, I found myself at the 100th Anniversary celebration of the Rose Festival - a summer carnival on the riverfront.

Prominently situated opposite the entrance to the booths with summer carney foods and festivities was a US Marines recruiting booth. I was amazed to see a twice-life-sized inflatable marine on display with his legs amputated at the knees. What an unconscious statment made by someone in PR!

Young men and women volunteer to go to war with images of glory in their minds. They do not consider the devastations of war - the deaths, the casualties and maiming.

Isaac Asimov, the famous author of many science fiction classics, said, "Violence is the last resort of the incompetent."

I believe Asimov was being overly kind in his criticisms. I see violence as the manipulations of people in power to grow and maintain their power. One of Eric Berne's Games People Play is "Let's you and him fight." Politicians declare wars but let others do the fighting.

I've often wondered how it would be if we had laws that required politicians to don military uniforms and serve on the front lines, we might see less global violence.

Is there any reason we couldn't promote such a law?

Dan Benor
WHEE MD