George,

It seems there are few things from which we can draw comfort in this season of discontent.

However, after watching the PBS program, "American Experience" rerun of "The Kennedys, particularly, the segment dealing with the "Cuban Missile Crisis" in October of 1962, I couldn't help but feel immense relief that we had adults in charge at that point in history. Cool heads prevailed over the desire of the military to make a "preemptive" strike, clearly a nuclear conflagration could easily have been the next step, and mutually assured destruction, a consequence. Contrast this mindset with the current occupant of the White House and his neo-con advisor hawks and sycophants. The cowboy style of "bring em on" most assuredly would have prevailed; and like Iraq,the consequences would have been disastrous.

Contrary to Laura Bush's farcical statement that her husband agonized over the decision to go war against Iraq and how it was a "wrenching" decision for him, the decision makers in that fateful week in October 1962, saw the no-win consequences and nightmare of an attack on Cuba. They agonized alright,but Robert and President Kennedy agonized for the fate of their nation, not their poll ratings and the possibility of enhanced reelection chances. There were few, if any, cowboys hanging around the Oval Office and we should all take solace in that fact.

Harry Tenney (electronic mail, November 19, 2003)