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Editor:  

The “war mentality” currently sweeping the nation is insane, but hardly surprising. We’ve been through this many times before. Whenever we’re faced with a serious problem, we become fearful, angry and then issue a declaration of war. Whether it is the war on drugs (where we’re willing to destroy lives), the war on cancer (where we create a battlefield on the human body), or the war on terrorism (where we are all potential targets); one thing remains constant: We as individuals and as a nation have become masters in avoiding any personal responsibility whatsoever for what happens to us in this life. In short, we’ve got a bad case of victim mentality, unwilling to accept that it is we and no one else who is responsibile for our continued deteriorating conditions. 

Michael Bauce 

Berkeley