Military smokescreen

In today's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Letter Of The Week!, the most charitable interpretation one could make is that Olen Grant of Hot Springs is trying to argue that John McCain, being ex-military, is best qualified to lead the country in a time of war. But on the off chance that charitable interpretation isn't merited, I must say that the copy editor was quite astute to give this letter the headline "White men only, please."

It’s really sad, and I hate to say it, but our Founding Fathers were not perfect and therefore did not create a perfect political system.

What they did do is lock us into an iron-bound document of stagnation. Though it freezes us in time, it does not prevent change—the wrong kind of change. If we would take the path left open to us, we would amend the document when it becomes necessary. Congress needs more leeway, more power.

Never in our history has this need been greater. Napoleon created in his world the fear of military rule, that it couldn’t be trusted with political power. But war calls for military thinking if we are to continue to let wars settle all of our disagreements with our neighbors.

To settle the question of who should be the commander-in-chief in time of war, it would seem fitting that the leader of our armed forces should take responsibility for making military decisions. As for fear of a junta by the military, that may be justified if it is all professional. But in World War II at least 75 percent were street lads, and I can assure you that their only desire was to exit it as soon as possible and get back on the streets once more.

I shudder to think that the recently liberated female or freed slave as civilian president would one day command our military. Can they be trusted?

OLEN GRANT
Hot Springs