Ever since the tragic events of September 11th, we've heard the endless refrain, "Go back to your normal lives," coming from the lips of our elected leaders. This comes while our government has embarked on its campaign of Enduring Freedom (oh, please), the so-called "war on terrorism." The rhetoric from Washington has been reduced to catch phrases like "the evil-doers" and "we'll smoke them out of their holes." At the same time, the apparent need for security has superceded our right to have any substantive information about what is actually going on in Afghanistan.

I don't know about you, but I'm getting a little weary with "America's New War." As an informed person, I watch CNN and MSNBC, listen to NPR and read the major newspapers, hoping to gain some understanding of recent military events. But, despite how I feel about this war in the first place, I'm struck over and over by the fact that we, the people, don't really know what's going on. Yes, I've heard the mantra — "This is a new kind of war. America must be patient." And I'm willing to be patient. But at the same time, I want to know details. How many American troops are involved? How many carpet bombs are we dropping — and where? How many Afghan lives are being lost as we try to find one man in a hillside cave?

The information vacuum is most felt when watching the 24-hour news channels. We're living in the Internet age, where at the click of a mouse we can get virtually any information we desire. Yet the news channels have been reduced to broadcasting the Pentagon briefings, running endless repeats of National Geographic specials, and parading in front of us a constant stream of "experts" to provide commentary. In fact, I don't know what's funnier — listening to the Pentagon officials say "I'm not at liberty to discuss that" or watching Ari Fleisher (our feisty Press Secretary) antagonize reporters in the White House briefing room. And don't even get me started on the "all anthrax, all the time" coverage. The lack of real news is appalling.

I, for one, truly believe that we can be given information without it jeopardizing our national security. We can also be asked to do something for our country besides "going back to our normal lives." There is no normal now. September 11 changed that. Our safe, secure world has been changed irrevocably.

Americans have always been happier during wartime when they had something to do. During WWII, children collected scrap metal for the "war effort." I remember school hours spent making "ditty bags" filled with toiletries to send to soldiers in Vietnam (even though I totally opposed the war). And I want to do something now. Perhaps we can make some small effort to alleviate the suffering felt by displaced Afghans in refugee camps. Perhaps we can write letters of encouragement to our men and women on aircraft carriers. Geraldo Rivera is leaving his cushy TV job to report from the front lines. I completely understand how he feels. He just wants to "do something."

Maybe this is a job for our new office of "Homeland Security." So, Tom Ridge, here's my challenge. Take time out from the terrorist threats to West coast bridges and provide some way for Americans to help the war effort at home. If you're not going to give us any real information about the "war on terrorism," at least take our minds off the fact that we're uninformed.

Now I'm turning it over to you, our Valley Viewpoint readers. Regardless of how you feel about the "rightness" or "wrongness" of this war in the first place, what should we be doing during this time of crisis? Is there anything we can do? E-mail us at info2005@valleyviewpoint.com. 

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