Columbia Missourian
“I’m afraid it’s going to escalate. I think while it’s going on, Bush is going to continue to pass sneaky legislation like he’s been doing. Also, I know this isn’t sanctioned by the U.N. and a lot of other countries disapprove of this action, and I agree. But I think this is going to cause further problems . . . I’m thinking of stories I heard about World War II from my grandparents. I really hope it doesn’t come to that.”
Nancy Smith, 23, of Columbia, Movie Gallery employee, learned about war at work
“I have relatives in the service. Of course I am concerned about their welfare. Do I feel safer? No. I feel more endangered.
Somewhere there is a little kid my grandson’s age that next week his mother will say to him ‘Daddy isn’t coming home.’ Someone will say that America killed him. A kid my grandson’s age will say ‘When I grow up, I am going to get those Americans that killed my daddy.’ ”
Ahmos Zu-Bolton, 59, visiting writer and resident to MU’s Black Studies Department
“I really fear dying. I really fear getting separated from my family because I’m from Colorado. I’m afraid that something bad will happen either here or at home with an individual terrorist, not really the weapons of mass destruction that everyone is talking about.
I think I fear living more than I fear dying in a situation with everything getting destroyed around me. I’ve been told I’ve lived through three wars, but nothing like this.”
Megan Silverstein, 19, sophomore at Stephens College
“I have an intense fear, that is down the line, that there is going to be adverse reactions from Russia, Germany, France. I hope it doesn’t escalate anything more than this particular conflict, or war. World War III on the brink. It’s just waiting.”
Max Lewis, 36, a third-year law student, who heard about the war while on the way home from volunteer gymnastics coaching for disabled children
