In a recent letter to Voice of the people Francis Buckingham stated,
” . . . the U.S. government aiding victims of the conflict in Central America is a good and noble (idea).” In my opinion, Buckingham has a peculiar concept of ”good” and ”noble.” According to Buckingham, the murdering and raping of dirt-poor peasants by the contras is to be applauded. Apparently, he is completely ignorant of the social improvements the Nicaraguans are experiencing since their free election of the Sandinista government–a few significant examples: The literacy rate has increased to a level comparable to that of the U.S.; For the first time in the history of Nicaragua, free prenatal care is being provided to women; and tens of thousands of previously disenfranchised peasants now own their own land. In my estimation, these are good and noble accomplishments.
The sentiments of Jethro Pettit`s piece proposing that ”victims of contras are the ones who deserve aid” are good and noble. The disruption of a freely elected and rapidly improving nation by a band of murderers is ignoble.
If the contras` activities were, in fact, ”good and noble,” why are they condemned by the World Court and disdained by practically all the nations of the world?
