...a senseless and idiotic war.

It's disgraceful, New York Times columnist Bob Herbert writes. In a nation as wealthy as the United States, nearly a third of the people are poor or near poor.

And I gotta agree. Enough to make me ashamed of America.

Herbert cited the statistics. We've got a population of 300 million. And 37 million, many of them children, live in poverty. And close to 60 million are just one notch above the official poverty line in households with annual incomes that range from $20,000 to $40,000 for a family of four.

Yes, the rich keep getting richer. And keep getting tax cuts. While the poor keep getting poorer.

"The (American) dream is in grave danger," Herbert said, "because the ruling elite stopped looking for the collective interests of the society and all but stopped investing in the future. We are swimming in a vast sea of indebtedness, most of it bringing no wortwhile return."

Yes, folks, I'm thankful that columnists like Herbert are rocking the boat. And reminding us that the war in Iraq will cost $3 trillion. Imagine if we invested that money in America instead of in a senseless and idiotic war. --Jim Broede