By Carol Lucas
It’s hard to think that the war in the Middle East is just into the third week. The news has focused on this horrific situation 24/7. Videos that provide insight to the anguish of those suffering on both sides are repeated to the point that one almost becomes numb to the reality … almost.
Any thinking person must surely realize that taking sides in this battle is futile. Yes, the United States has made it clear that we are supporting Israel. But in case you read this as a purely black and white decision with no shades of gray, the President also made it clear that our regard for those Palestinian civilians in Gaza is very much in place.
Let’s remember that most of those same civilians are not a part of Hamas, just as I want to believe many of the rogue elements in our country do not represent the people as a whole.
My focus with this piece is not on the war we have seen the past three weeks, but rather on the war we have failed to observe or hear about in the same period of time. For some reason, the media appears to have forgotten about Ukraine and what those folks are still enduring. It is as though news from that part of the world has shut down or is non-existent. Vladimir Putin must be euphoric.
Historically, there is a term out there, “forgotten war.” This refers to the Korean conflict that is sometimes called a “police action” since Congress never declared war on North Korea.
It lasted from 1950 until 1953, when an armistice was declared and no winner or loser was recognized. Because it was sandwiched in between World War II and the Vietnam War, it was called “the forgotten war.” After three weeks of no news on Ukraine, I began to think of their plight in much the same way.
Indeed, we are still providing reinforcement to Ukraine in terms of money and arms, and I would hope that those who wish to deem our so-called generosity in a negative light will pause to remember that we are no longer in an isolationist position. The tentacles of war can easily impact upon, indeed reach out and grab, the United States. One need only remember 9-11.
I am, admittedly, concerned about losing sight of what is taking place in Ukraine, and in doing so, dropping the ball. Having listened to the many military strategists (when we were getting news about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine), I heard more than once that should Russia gain this territory, Poland becomes the next target. And after that?
Russia is an enemy, plain and simple, and to ignore that fact is pure folly. I assert that we cannot afford to put Ukraine on the back burner, including news regarding what is happening there on a day to day basis.
So why do I worry about our focus when we are simply viewing these wars from afar? When Israel was attacked on October 7, one of the first thoughts on my part was how could this have happened to a country that has the far-reaching reputation of one of the best prepared, best equipped intelligence agencies in the world. Books, both fiction and non-fiction, have been written about this.
When that question became public, the answer seemed to come back to “turmoil within the government.” Whoa! If that doesn’t raise the hair on your neck, you need to check your pulse. Or better yet, we all need to look in our own backyard, so to speak.
It is abundantly clear that our government is in greater turmoil than it has been for a very long time. I have railed on this ad infinitum in many of my pieces in this paper, and while I know there are probably more out there who disagree than agree with me, I believe the time has come to clean house before it is too late. Ask yourself, as a resident of a military town, how do you view the man in Congress who blatantly holds up military promotions when we see two wars raging? Who does that?
And our federal government is in a state of paralysis because the majority in the House of Representatives cannot sufficiently get their act together to elect one of their own. Legislation has become secondary to drama, a need for 15 minutes of fame. Two wars are raging, and our governmental structure is weakening by the day. Again – who does that?
Let’s be clear. One war is not any more important than the other, and anyone who tries to say so needs to look a bit closer, in fact, quite a bit closer. I don’t pretend to be a military strategist; the “wars” I fought in the classroom were of a different nature entirely. But more than once, the phrase “there but for the grace of God go we” has intruded upon my thinking.
Are we, as a people, smart enough to take a page from the book that is unfolding before our very eyes halfway around the world? Or has ignorance truly become bliss? If the latter is the case, enjoy the euphoria while you can because there may come a time when bliss is a forgotten emotion of the past.
Carol Lucas is a retired high school teacher and a Lady’s Island resident. She is the author of the recently published “A Breath Away: One Woman’s Journey Through Widowhood.”
