LETTERS: U.S. HAS OBLIGATION TO END SUFFERING

To the editor:

I am an Air Force retiree whose mother was born in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. I was glad to see that our NATO forces finally decided to step up its air-bombardment campaign and strike Yugoslavia's capital.

If we are to succeed in our mission over there, we must take greater steps in order to achieve our objective. The bombing of Belgrade will send a strong signal to President Slobodan Milosevic that we are very serious.

However, I feel that ground troops will have to be used eventually in order to keep the peace over there.

I know a lot of Americans are asking, "Why are we over there? What U.S. interests are there?" At first, I wasn't too sure about U.S. involvement in a civil war. However, after watching some of the atrocities that have been committed by the Serbs, it reminded me of an event that occurred long ago in Nazi Germany.

As a Christian nation, the U.S. has an obligation to help end the murdering and suffering wherever it may be. A lot of people are being slaughtered over there and are asking for help. Do we just turn our backs on them and say, "Sorry, it's not our affair"?

We in the United States are very lucky to have the freedoms we do. I don't think people here would be very happy is someone stronger came in and tried to take our freedom away from us as the Serbs are doing. However, it's understandable that no one wants to lose American lives over there either.

It's a situation where you're damned if you do and damnd if you don't.

JIMMY L. GOCKEL

Cape Girardeau