War! What is it Good For?

Thanks to Snad for pointing me to a column in November 4th's Johnson City Press. Larry French says the rhetorical question is still unanswered years later.

Charles E. Hatcher was born in Nashville in 1942, and for the majority of Tennesseans, his name is not likely to ring any bells.

It’s certainly not synonymous with any particular earth-shattering events, nor is it likely to be found in any of our current textbooks.

His name, however, is associated with one of the most rhetorical questions ever asked of the American public, and one that I’ve struggled with for more than 30 years while searching for a logical explanation. While Hatcher’s question does have a legitimate answer, it’s just one of those questions that should have never been asked.

The 16th century humanist and reformer Philip Melanchton said: “The rhetorical question includes an emotional dimension which expresses sarcasm,” but I don’t believe that Hatcher was being sarcastic with his question. I think he was searching for the truth.

I suppose by now though you may be asking yourself who is Hatcher, and what was his rhetorical question? Before I give you that answer, first let me refresh your memory and take you back to Sept. 22, and Oct. 27, when the streets of Johnson City and Jonesborough were occupied with several hundred protesters, marching for peace and seeking an answer to that same question. (Read More)

What was the question? The title of this post is the question. Read the rest of Mr. French's column for the rest of the story.

Check this powerful YouTube video of Edwin Starr's song with Iraq images.