| As the war with Iraq continues, we hear many clamoring for its end. I, too, am opposed to war and wish the current war with Iraq were not occurring. My opposition to war is born in the sadness I feel whenever a human life is lost--whether that life is American, British, Australian, Iraqi, or any other. There is a grief that rises up within me, not only for those who lose their lives but also for their families and loved ones who will mourn the losses.
As I contemplate the loss of life I wonder how best to minimize it. Should we continue with the stated U.S. objective of removing Saddam Hussein from power, or should we just withdraw as gracefully as possible, apologize to Mr. Hussein and the world for the trouble we have caused, and offer to pay for the damage done? While withdrawal may save a few lives in the short term it will certainly not in the long run. Please recall that Mr. Hussein is the one whose armies invaded Kuwait in 1991 and then set thousands of oil wells on fire as they were being driven out. This is the same Saddam Hussein that used mustard gas to kill Kurds in the north of Iraq and who slew thousands more of his own people in Basra when they sought a new government. This is the man whose son runs a torture center and who lives in sumptuous palaces while the infrastructure of the country lies in disrepair and ruin. Mr. Hussein, the Iraqi dictator, is the same person who has continually defied the resolutions of the United Nations, resolutions that were passed as a result of his own actions in Kuwait. Even now, as troops of the alliance move across Iraq, they are finding increasing evidence of chemical weapons and of ties with al-Qaeda.
Can the United States afford to sit by while a man such as Saddam Hussein continues to defy the UN and to seek weapons of mass destruction? I think not. While the UN wrings its collective hands, and votes to give more time to Saddam to prove what a nice guy he really is, I’m thankful for a president who, unlike his predecessor, is unwilling to stand idle while terrorists and other thugs frighten us into a corner from which there is no escape. Too many of us are so naïve as to think that the world is basically kind and sweet. We cannot comprehend the hatred that certain people harbor for us and our way of life. However, hear the words of Prime Minister Tony Blair who told the Labor Party conference (in reference to the perpetrators of the events of 9/11), "They have no moral inhibition on the slaughter of the innocent. If they could have murdered not 7,000 but 70,000, does anyone doubt they would have done so and rejoiced in it?”
In spite of compelling evidence in support of the removal of Saddam Hussein from power, there will still be those who are opposed to any military action to produce such change. And that is their perfect right, a benefit that we enjoy in America, to have individual opinions and be able to express them openly and without fear. It is a right purchased with the blood, sweat, and tears, of our dedicated men and women in the military. Whether or not I agree with every action of our military forces will not in any way diminish the heartfelt appreciation and thankfulness I have for their dedication and loyal service. While our troops are battling in far away lands under conditions that many of us would feel to be intolerable, I want them to know nothing but that I support them fully and that they have my undying gratitude.
If you’ve marched before in war protests, why not try marching in support of our military troops. And go buy a United States flag that you will fly in a prominent place. Oh, and one more thing; try praying for a particular soldier or group of soldiers from your area, as well as praying for our president, his family, and other governmental leaders. Sounds silly, you say? Maybe so, but just try it, and see what good it will do for them—and you.
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