The Anti-War Report: Next Stop, Apathy
by Ben Shapiro

"You don’t care because there isn’t a draft."
Dead silence.
"Is it true?"
Contemplation.

This question arose in my philosophy class a few weeks ago. When this was asked, my heart felt heavy because I was guilty for how I was treating the serious issue of an impending war. I myself was, for the most part, apathetic and uncaring, mostly because I was afraid to think of the consequences which this war might entail. Many others in that class shared the same feeling. It is a disconcerting feeling to be called out on your apathy and to realize how true the accusation is.

The question made me think about the war and about how we, as college students, treat the issue. After due contemplation I realized that we don’t treat the issue at all. The problem is that this issue is of the utmost importance, especially to us.

I do not know why we don’t care, why we don’t discuss; I just know we don’t. This impending war is our Vietnam: a war without a just cause. It is a war of vengeance, a war of oil, a war of big money. It is not a war that seeks to bring the people involved in September 11 to any form of justice, as much as it is an excuse to kill those whom we see fit, using the word "terrorism" to defend our right to do so.

Look at the news once in a while. At the time I am writing this, Chechnyan rebels have taken hostages in a theater in Russia. George Bush has called Vladimir Putin to make him aware that these men are terrorists. This was Putin’s green light to go ahead with any action against these men because Bush had, in all rights, given his support to any action against terrorists. Putin’s action against these terrorists left 118 of his own citizens dead, killed by Putin’s soldiers and not the terrorists. We cannot be angry at him, though, because they were terrorists and we should never negotiate with terrorists. Right?

Why, however, were these terrorists taking hostages? They took the hostages in order to get the Russian military out of Chechnya, where a terrible war is taking place. These men and women were there in order to stop a tyrannical war against their people. Acknowledging this makes the question of who was right a bit less black and white.

We really need to start caring and asking questions of our leaders. We also need to start studying what is going on in our surrounding environment. Baby-mama drama is all well and good, but it doesn’t mean a damn thing in the grand scheme of things. Look beyond headlines and propaganda; look beyond hatred and vengeance. Look at this issue objectively. Do not let your mind be clouded by what others want you to believe.

For all I care you can rip this article to shreds and burn it, as long as you are thinking about what is going on. It’s time we wake up as a generation and show everyone that we care about something besides ourselves.