Small steps to peace

Editor's Note: Foothill resident Harold Johnson sent this letter to President Obama.

EDITOR:

An old friend of mine would say to me when I asked for his advice, "Be glad to accommodate you, but I warn you in advance, the advice is worth as much as you pay for it." With this thought in mind you can do what you want with my suggestion.

History credits our country and leaders with reconstruction and the success of Europe, Japan, East Germany, Berlin and other countries following the many wars we have been engaging in the last years. There have been great successes and many failures. As our leader you know which ones are in each category.

It appears to this lay person that one of the most meaningful foreign policies, the Monroe Doctrine by Statesman James Monroe was one of the most successful. We were a small country but the policy led to our later success and security as a world nation. James Monroe had the courage and integrity to originate and practice the doctrine when we were children in this world. It was most successful in the survival, growth and development of our nation in very trying times.

In this time of hypocrisy, dishonesty, phony protocol in the name of national security we have supported many worldly countries who turned out to be our enemies. Why not let the perennial troublemakers settle their own conflicts? Our excuses of protection of loss of source of energy is not valid. We have more sources of energy than they have. So are other purported reasons false.

These countries need our markets and we need more action with less preaching to sell our way of life. Why not limit for now our defenses, growth and friendship to our neighbors in the Americas by building trade, protection, trust, friendship, intra-structure and democracy. We can do an excellent job on their and our needs. We can achieve more human rights and cooperation in small practical steps in home territories, one step at a time and reduce the envy and hate from so many others.

Harold L. Johnson, P.E.

Gardnerville