Voice of the People, Jul. 12

July 12, 2013
  • Society's protectors
Society's protectors (TIM BRINTON)

Society's protectors

The deaths of 19 firefighters in the Prescott, Ariz., area due to a volatile wildfire is a poignant reminder of inherent dangers involved in careers in which individuals have public safety duties and responsibilities for larger society, whether they be firefighters, police officers and other law enforcement officials.

So bless all those who protect us 24-7, 52 weeks of the year, and pray for their perpetual security and well-being.

Ballard J. Powell, Chicago

Honor firefighters

I am the son of a firefighter and think what happened to those 19 firefighters in Arizona is terrible. I am very sorry for their families and friends. It is good to see that all over the country, people are grieving for them and supporting the families in many ways. It was nice to see that the town of Prescott turned the town into a memorial for July 4.

I'm glad that they and their sacrifices will not be forgotten..

David Graben, Palos Park

Violence stories

While it is admirable the Tribune has reported on gun violence, the story that needs to be told is why the shooters think their actions are normal. One knows that their stories cannot be told until they have gone to trial, but it could be after interviews, with the offenders sharing their thoughts that using violence is the way one responds. We could find out what influenced them to respond the way they did and, more important, just how they got that gun and if any law-restricting gun ownership would have prevented them from getting that gun.

Jerome C. Malon, Chicago

Senseless violence

While I applaud your vigilance in continuing to raise the issue of senseless murders and shootings, the answer lies in tactics as a society we can't get past. These include stop-and-frisk, and bringing U.S. troops home and having them run patrols like they do in Afghanistan. Continuing to remove the ability of citizens to protect themselves and Internet surveillance of the populace has no impact.

Steve Greiner, Forest Park

Views on democracy

Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, though duly elected, quickly became a dictator who tried to turn his country into an Islamist theocracy. Egyptians rebelled. As Americans, we believe that people have the right to abolish a government that takes away their rights. It says so explicitly in our Declaration of Independence. Considered in this light, the Egyptian military was right to overthrow the president

We feel highly ambivalent though. A coup d'etat does not seem very democratic. And we have always been taught that democracy is the very foundation of our liberty. But our teachers were wrong. Democracy is a process, not a principle.

In a country that has a tradition of the rule of law and respect for individual rights, democracy is likely to ensure the continuation of a free society. In countries that do not have such traditions, democracy offers no guarantee that things will end well. This was Edmund Burke's thesis 200 years ago, and it is still valid today.

The American Revolution worked out pretty well, at least for white people. The French Revolution ushered in a bloody reign of terror. The Russian Revolution led to ghastly repression and the deaths of millions. The German Reichstag voted Adolf Hitler into power. On the other hand, a military dictator, Douglas MacArthur, gave Japan the constitution that made it a free country.

It's hard to find a positive correlation here between democracy and freedom.

When we actively promote democracy above all other considerations for all nations in all circumstances, we put the cart before the horse, and we almost certainly will continue to be surprised by very unhappy outcomes.

Dave Coyne, Goshen, Ind.

Patience with Egypt

Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi's mistake was that he misunderstood what real democracy means. Democracy is not just free elections. The former Egyptian president should have read Alexis de Tocqueville's "De la démocratie en Amerique," written in the 1830s, about the possible dangers of democracy including "soft despotism" and the risk of developing tyranny of the majority.

When Morsi was elected he resigned from the Muslim Brotherhood to become the president of all Egyptians. This was a farce and in fact he governed by decrees like a despot as a true son of the Muslim Brotherhood. Morsi, in fact, became in the first year of his presidency his worst enemy.

President Barack Obama was right not to describe the army takeover as a coup. Our administration should be patient with Egypt. After all, it took more than 100 years to consolidate our democracy. Eventually, Egypt will emulate the United States of America.

Isaac Cohen, Chicago