I designed and posted it because Americans never see the results of their government's ugly wars of aggression and I think most people in the United States would be against the war if they had any idea that thousands of women and children were being killed. These images of bombed civilians are shown to the rest of the world and that may explain why American's are feared instead of respected. I would also like to say to Julia Pheifer that I am not 21 but I am 47 and for the past 24 years I have volunteering with a group that helps children and the poor. In fact I co-founded a movement Food Not Bombs that feeds the hungry in hundreds of cities in the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. And finally Julia about my freedom to express my self, well I have spent over 500 nights in jail for trying to express myself and when I was facing life in prison in the United States for my first amendment activities Amnesty International declared me a "Prisoners of Conscience" and worked for my unconditional release. Its time America stops killing and attacking people in other countries. Lets not fool ourselves into thinking Raytheon¹s missiles are built to defend freedom. There mission is murder for profit.
It¹s laudable for the Star to air multiple viewpoints on various issues. Still, it seems odd that you¹d provide special ³guest opinion² editorial space to what is clearly delusional war profiteering propaganda.
The damage inflicted on this community and the world by the Raytheon Corporation probably is containable. But their war profiteering activity is a dangerous disease, not only to those 10,000 plus Tucsonans infected with it, but it is dangerous to our freedom, our safety, and to the American way of life.
Ms. Pheifer, who confesses to being the wife of a Raytheon employee, implies that Raytheon workers are at least as civically minded as other Tucsonans, if not more so. True or not, this is a pointless distraction that smacks of defensive guilt.
Her piece asserts that [aside from their weapons of mass destruction which have inflicted massive civilian casualties throughout the world] Raytheon manufactures some really cool electronic and navigational merchandise. Fair enough. Should we make a like-minded argument to reconsider the contributions of fascism because they always made the trains run on time? Or should we take a more balanced look at the Nazis who successfully pushed production of the Volkswagen and provided affordable transportation to the German masses? I don¹t think so.
She would have us accept the notion that Raytheon provides protection to Americans, and even ³allows² people here to express whatever sophomoric opinions they choose. Perhaps this fallacy would get bigger laughs if more people knew she was joking. Raytheon is in consistent violation of the Geneva Convention and international law. Raytheon missile plants and any community that supports them is a legitimate military target for every group or any country that is, or ever has been, on the receiving end of their hardware. Of course, Raytheon is not solely responsible for making Tucson a dangerous place to live, nor is it solely responsible for making the rest of the world a more dangerous place for every American citizen. But they are certainly doing their part. And in their arrogance, they imagine themselves to be above accountability. Raytheon¹s tentacles reach deeply into the Tucson community for no other reason than that they generate a lot of local revenue from their despicable, immoral activity. In this respect, they enjoy the kind of support here that Al Qaida gets from many communities and some governments in the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
Still, Raytheon employees should not be considered pariahs. Particularly those with a strong desire to change. Perhaps the first step for former Raytheon employees who really want to do something constructive and contribute to a healthy community would be to organize a War Profiteers Anonymous program.
Wayne Sumstine
United Neighborhoods of Tucson
1960 N. Lindenwood Ct.
Tucson, AZ 85712
Phone 885-9049