To the Editor:
Re “What Will Come After Paris” (editorial, Nov. 16):
France has reacted with anger to the Paris attacks, just as we did after 9/11. But history shows not only that a thoughtless response doesn’t win the peace but also that bombing makes things worse by generating more angry fighters. It’s impossible to defend against suicide attacks.
We should have learned by now, and it’s time to try something different.
For starters, we can understand those who would attack us. Muslims note that more of their families have died in our attacks than have Americans or French in attacks by Al Qaeda, the Taliban or the Islamic State. Muslims might view indiscriminate deaths to be just as terrorist as we did the deaths in Paris and New York.
So we won’t turn the tide of attacks from the Middle East unless we stop bombing and give assistance to the growing masses of refugees.
JOHN SCHAEFER
Arcata, Calif.
