SAY it isn't so. Don't tell me  we may have to suffer another cold war with Russia for a few decades.

Now that Russia has Georgia on its mind, one can hear sabers rattling in the distance.

And there's talk both in the U.S. and Russia that the hot war in Georgia, a former member of the now-defunct Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, will become another bitter war of words and missile-pointing between the U.S. and Russia.

I can still recall those days at the old Hite Elementary School when we would practice cold war ducking and covering in case the Russians sent nuclear missiles to Huntington.

To make matters worse, we were told that Huntington was a major target of the Soviets because the U.S. was making something at that nickel plant, hard by the Guyandotte River, that was used to make nuclear weapons.

We didn't know what it was. It was top secret and even the people who worked there didn't know what it was.

But we were told that, if the Russians sent "those A-bums" our way, one of the first would strike Huntington.

Added to the nuclear threat was the Jesus threat, which was promulgated by the good Christian folks who were predicting the end of the world not by a nuclear device but by the return of an angry Jesus at nearly any moment.

Russians or sinners in the hands of an angry savior? We could choose one or both.

I used to fantasize a scenario in which the Russians dropped the bombs on West Virginia, but before they hit the ground, Jesus would snap me up and take me somewhere to judge me as not being worthy of heaven, so I'd be sent back to earth to die a horrible and painful death as my flesh melted from a nuclear device because I didn't duck and cover.

SAY it isn't so. Don't tell me  we may have to suffer another cold war with Russia for a few decades.

Now that Russia has Georgia on its mind, one can hear sabers rattling in the distance.

And there's talk both in the U.S. and Russia that the hot war in Georgia, a former member of the now-defunct Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, will become another bitter war of words and missile-pointing between the U.S. and Russia.

I can still recall those days at the old Hite Elementary School when we would practice cold war ducking and covering in case the Russians sent nuclear missiles to Huntington.

To make matters worse, we were told that Huntington was a major target of the Soviets because the U.S. was making something at that nickel plant, hard by the Guyandotte River, that was used to make nuclear weapons.

We didn't know what it was. It was top secret and even the people who worked there didn't know what it was.

But we were told that, if the Russians sent "those A-bums" our way, one of the first would strike Huntington.

Added to the nuclear threat was the Jesus threat, which was promulgated by the good Christian folks who were predicting the end of the world not by a nuclear device but by the return of an angry Jesus at nearly any moment.

Russians or sinners in the hands of an angry savior? We could choose one or both.

I used to fantasize a scenario in which the Russians dropped the bombs on West Virginia, but before they hit the ground, Jesus would snap me up and take me somewhere to judge me as not being worthy of heaven, so I'd be sent back to earth to die a horrible and painful death as my flesh melted from a nuclear device because I didn't duck and cover.

I can't believe the Russian people or the American people want to go through another cold war.

It took me a few decades to realize that people weren't the cause of this war of nerves.

A cold war is the domain of governments, not people. Shooting wars are the same.

The rapture? Well, that's the domain of preachers.

It seems to me that in many instances, talk of the return of Jesus is simply meant to scare the heck out of people so they'll either (a) spend more time in church or (b) give more money.

But why a cold war? What does it do except scare the easily frightened or give succor  to those who dream that some day they may become glorious but dead patriots when the cold war turns hot.

If another cold war is coming, then so be it. But this time, don't put the burden on the kids. Don't make them duck under their desks and cover their heads.

Allow them to live in blissful ignorance until they have to become adults and face the music, no matter what that music may be.

Peyton may be reached by e-mail at david.pey...@gmail.com.