Pace Paw Print

To the editor,

It's been five years and counting. Over 4,000 US soldiers have died, 30,000 have been injured (many severely), hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqis have perished, while this war of choice is going to cost Americans an estimated $2.5 trillion. Yet, here we are, alive and well, with our problems of everyday life, perhaps not wanting to deal with something unpleasant. Or, has the tragedy of war been sanitized so as to make it fade from our minds? That would be truly sad. Unlike the fallen soldiers, we can avoid falling into the trap of cynicism and apathy if we care enough to stand up and for our country!

On 3/26 at the Kessel Dining Room, faculty and students came together to mark the fifth anniversary of the Iraq war and pay respects to the thousands of people killed overseas. It was an attempt to remind us of the horrible effects of this war, whose costs are being born primarily by young people, and whose profile fits the students we see here at Pace University.

During the event, the Faces of the Fallen were projected on a large screen while faculty said a few words. What we noticed, however, was the lack of solemnity for the occasion. The loud conversations and laughter continued unabated throughout the event. Have we become so comfortable as to not give a damn about the important issues that affect our country? Have we become so anesthetized? If so, those in government and the media who manipulate our feelings and use our sense of patriotism to their advantage have already won.

Nevertheless, we do recognize those students, staff and faculty who did come to this event, shared their thoughts, feelings, signed the petition, and paid their respects to the fallen. We sincerely thank you!

We face many challenges today, but we have to act as responsible and thinking adults. Magnetic ribbons on our cars or flying the US flag aren't good measures of patriotism and responsible citizenship. They're rather cheap excuses-if that's the only thing a person does. We cannot eliminate all mistakes or the "evil doers," but let's not forget that for evil to prevail, good people need to do nothing!

Sincerely,

Professors

George Picoulas, Marie Werner

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