Dear Readers,

There is a big question facing our nation and we want to know what you think about it.

Should the United States punish Syria for using chemical weapons on their own citizens? Pres. Barack Obama thinks so, and said so on August 31.

In a speech that was broadcast live in the U.S. and on Syrian State TV, he said he has the right to order the U.S. Navy to launch an attack after our intelligence services determined the Assad regime launched chemical weapons on its own people killing 1,400, with some 400 being children.

No doubt the use of poison gas is, in the words of Secretary of State John Kerry, a “moral obscenity.”

No doubt the use of chemical weapons is a violation of international law, but is using chemical weapons to kill your own citizens any different than using bombs and bullets to kill them?

What should we do about it, if anything at all?

It is not an easy question. Maine Sen. Angus King put it this way: “The conflict in Syria is incredibly complex and we must be extremely mindful of the ramifications of any actions we may pursue.” 

While the president said he has the right to act in the name of national security, he put the matter before Congress, and that surprised a lot of folks. I am sure it really surprised the leaders of much of the world’s nations, especially those who use their politburos and parliaments as rubber stamps for the policies of their “dear leaders.”

It is not a simple problem. Syria and much of the Middle East is in a period of change. The Arab Spring activists have overthrown some longstanding regimes. There is a sectarian war going on, too, as Syrian officials, who are allied with the Shia Islamic sect, preside over a nation of some 20 million folks who are Sunnis.

The Mideast is also embroiled in this quasi-religious war with Syria and Iran on one side against much of the rest of the Sunni Arab world. It is a sectarian war that has been waged for hundreds of years.

 Here at home, our nation, which is dependent on Middle Eastern oil, has been in the middle of this war for the last 10 years, both in Iraq and Afghanistan. We are pulling out of both conflicts. Should we start shooting in another Arab nation? 

Can we solve this civil war with a missile attack? What will be the outcome? Will Syria and her allies strike back?

What will happen if we strike? What will happen if we don’t strike?   

The president said he wants Congress, a body of elected representatives, to stop their bickering and become grownups for a change.

They will have to do more than carp at the other guys and the other party. They will have to debate the question, get their views on the record and vote.

We live in a nation that prides itself on freedom of speech and the press. Here is your chance to exercise your freedom.

What do you think? What should our representatives argue? How should they vote? What should we do?

Let us know. Write us a letter, or email me at joegelarden@boothbayregister.com. Please keep your response to 350 words or fewer. Please include your name and phone number, so we can call you if we have a question.

We will publish a representative sample of your responses online and in next week’s editions.