The debate on Syria is much too limited ("Syrian rebels ready to strike if U.S. does," Sept. 6). It should not be about military effectiveness, national interest, or building coalitions. The more relevant question is why, after 6,000 years of civilization with extraordinary advances in technology, human rights, education, health and quality of life, when another nation acts badly the best we can come up with is to drop explosives on him?

Really? We are back to the Stone Age and only the sophistication of the weapons has changed. Then it was clubs, now cruise missiles. If it happens, it is not just on Barack Obama. It is on all of us.

Jerry T. Lawler, Baltimore