McCain is the one who shows naivete

John McCain gets big cheers when he talks about how naïve Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are about national security. McCain declares that it's a dangerous world out there and that Americans will be less safe if our national priorities shift from foreign military ventures toward international diplomacy and domestic issues.

I agree that today's world is a dangerous place, but I think that Sen. McCain is, in fact, a bit naïve about what makes the world so dangerous.

Yes, it is dangerous because an Arab terrorist could detonate a bomb at a football game. But it is also dangerous because a crazed individual could open fire in a college classroom. Or because a bridge could collapse and send 100 cars into a river. Or because a hurricane could strike and a big coastal city could be woefully unprepared for the consequences.

It is a dangerous world for kids because they can lose precious hours or days fighting a serious infection as their uninsured parents consider whether they are sick enough to justify the hassle of taking them to the emergency room. And it is dangerous because gas is over $3 per gallon and millions of Americans are buying smaller, more fuel-efficient cars now, but there are still millions of three-ton SUVs on the road and the small cars (and their occupants) don't stand a chance in a collision.

I'm not sure who is cheering John McCain's rhetoric, but I worry about Americans who don't see that there are a lot more threats to their security than al-Qaida and that it takes more than just military resources and tactics to head off these threats. It is going to take political skill, creativity and diplomacy as well, both at home and abroad, to ensure our security in this dangerous world and dangerous time. Anyone who doesn't see that must be very naïve indeed.

Guy Rosenthal

Wheaton