NOW A REAL WAR FACES THE NATION

Most people are having a little trouble adjusting to this new kind of "war"
that the United States is waging.

Basically, we understand "war" as shooting, bombing and, after the brief
Persian Gulf War, high-tech visual displays of our military prowess.

But the newly declared "war on terrorism" has been fought to this point
with words, acts designed to forge international coalitions and
behind-the-scenes "police" actions against individuals and groups suspected
of having involvement in the hijacking of airliners that were then turned
into guided missiles targeting Americans and American interests.

Our newest enemy is not necessarily a nation, but a madman by the name of
Osama bin Laden and an uncounted legion of shadowy figures sympathetic to
radical Islamic endeavors. In their contorted minds, they are fighting a
"holy war" against Americans and others who do not accept their beliefs.

But at least the focus of America's newest "war" is centered on the memory
of the horrific events of Sept. 11. Until our nation was galvanized by the
breath taking assaults, the question "How's the war going?" would usually
be answered with another question: "Which war?"

After all, in recent years Americans always seem to be declaring war on
something or the other in entirely different ways.

Notable among our various "wars," of course, is the so-called "war on drugs."

This is a campaign that has been waged for years on end, on any number of
fronts and at an almost incalculable cost to taxpayers.

For that investment, the public gets constant reminders of the small
victories in individual battles. Law enforcement agencies are fond of
trotting out the confiscated contraband every time they pull off a big drug
raid.

Now there's nothing wrong with authorities showing off the results of good
police work, but we all know that the overall war on drugs is only managing
to stem a trickle of what is a flood of narcotics into this country. It is
a war that we are losing in large proportions.

Then there's the nebulous "war on porn." Many Americans are outraged at the
material available for public consumption and in all forms -- from films,
to music, to printed publications, to Internet sites. While we do not in
any way condone pornography, especially that which involves children, this,
too, seems to be a war that is being lost. To "win," undoubtedly would
require doing away with a rather crucial portion of the U.S. Constitution.

Still others have a lesser-publicized crusade (war) to do away with
illiteracy. They favor such measures as school choice to improve the rather
shaky education provided in some public school venues.

But if anyone has any illusions that progress is being made in the war on
illiteracy, he or she needs only to listen and watch television new
reports, sports telecasts or even read newspapers (we admit that this paper
has produced some doozies in the recent past and probably will see others
in print despite our best efforts to corral the millions of words that we
process).

So it seems obvious that Americans always are willing to declare war on any
number of the ills of our society.

But this newest war comes with higher stakes. Americans demand a solid
response to the deaths of all those thousands of innocent civilians. And in
fashioning the retribution, more lives may be lost.

We must all hope that this real war, which has so many unconventional
aspects, will be fought with more conviction, efficiency and positive,
lasting results than the aforementioned "wars" against foes that also
cannot be easily cornered.