When Smart Bombs Go Bad

[This one is from the 90s, when our “smart bombs” dropped on Serbia did some stupid things – like hitting the  Chinese embassy.]

Dear Editor,
I understand and share the outrage of those who condemn the tragic bombings of buses, apartment complexes, the Chinese Embassy and other inappropriate targets in recent raids, but I think it important that we try to understand these bombs, not dismiss them as dumb or monstrous devices.

After all, for every smart bomb that goes astray and wipes out women, children and old men, 100 bombs correctly wipe out the uniformed husbands, sons and parents of those women, children and old men.

And bombs that go bad are not BAD bombs. They are bombs that got in with a bad crowd; bombs, typically, that didn’t fit in, so that all the other smarties picked on them; bombs that had no other way to attract the attention they so desperately needed; bombs that looked to US for guidance in all that turmoil of gust and fog, but found themselves lost, alone, aimless; bombs brought up on TV shows and movies full of random STUPID violence, where ANY explosion is cheered as long as it’s big and loud.

Remember, no matter what monstrous things these bombs have done, they are not monsters. . . or if they are, they are OUR monsters. We need to communicate with our bombs, understand their needs and how rough it is for them in today’s heavy weather and high-speed, impersonal warfare. We must TALK to our bombs. We must TEST our bombs early and often to detect those with the potential for unsmart violence; get them counseling BEFORE they go out of control.

But first we must learn to LOVE our bombs. If we want well-educated bombs of which we can be proud, we must make the world a secure and caring place for our bombs. Our bombs are our future, and our future is the WORLD’s future. Hug YOUR smart bomb today!

Sincerely Yours,

Dean Blehert
Laser Guidance Counselor
and Editor of Detonations