Wartime is never easy for anyone. Those it hits hardest are the soldiers fighting abroad and their families that wait with hope at home. It is a loaded question to determine whether this War in Iraq is necessary. I created this page as a way to express my own thoughts on the issue. First and foremost, I support our troops 100% as they fight for freedom for the Iraqi people. However, I do question why we are still there. After 9/11, it made sense to go into Afghanistan and turn the Taliban on their heads for harboring terrorists. The long term benefits of ousting Saddam Hussein even seemed warranted given his tyrannical and oppressive rule.
Yet, we are still very much a presence in Iraq and the troops face horrible violence everyday. In fact, terrorism has increased all over. President Bush has been evasive whenever he is pressed for specifics. He primarily just states that "it would be a mistake to leave now." It is disheartening when your own leader plans to budget some $80 billion dollars for a brutal war, but plans only $1.5 billion to support his "No Child Left Behind" education plan. Forgive me, but the scales seem just a bit off balance. Bush has taken a maverick approach to his presidency. It seems his personal agenda is overruling what's in this country's best interest. I admire that he always stands behind his decisions, but it takes a bigger man to admit he's made a mistake and then takes steps to correct it.
This "war" has become this generation's Vietnam. You can't fight an enemy you can't see. A big military battalion is a walking target. I would think this war would be better fought by covert operations by special forces units. It is clear that it is time to start bringing the troops home their families. I feel we ought to bring them home slowly so as not to simply abandon the Iraqi citizens in the midst of the insurgency. I am not necessarily a liberal, nor am I a conservative. I am torn over both sides of this hot debate.
What tears at my heart more than anything else, is the terrible suffering by the families of the soldiers. For example, a story on the news about a brand new father that never even got to see his one month old baby. He was on his second deployment and had to miss the birth of his son. He was able to view him for five minutes via video phone. Shortly thereafter, this soldier was killed in a helicopter crash on the deadliest day of the war for America to date. His newborn son will never know his dad. His wife will have to raise their child on her own.
How can you not get upset by stories like this? This is just one of the many reasons I have lost faith in this ongoing war. Bush and Congress need to really examine their reasons for this war. We have lost countless allies as well. This administration wants to take a maverick approach in country founded on democracy. He wants to further this cause in other nations, but doesn't seem to always practice what he preaches. I doubt John Kerry would have acted much differently, but who knows? I personally would love to see a man like Colin Powell run for office someday...but I digress. Simply put, I wish for peace on this crazy, chaotic planet.
Written in 2004
