May 04, 2004

Let Me Explain. No, It's Too Long--Let Me Sum Up.

And it was my war. Those were my soldiers. Because I am an American.

I didn't have a blog before the war in Iraq, so I can't reference back to posts I made. You'll just have to trust my recollections.

Right before the first bombs started flying, I had a rather intense discussion (read: hostile argument) about the impending war with a friend of mine. This friend is in the NYPD and a lifelong New Yorker, so that might shed some light on his perspective post-September 11.

I'm a lifelong Democrat, so draw your own conclusions on my perspective.

President Bush had been making his case for the WMDs, and my friend took it completely to heart. He insisted we had to go to war to stop Saddam Hussein from perpetrating another 9-11 or using nuclear bombs on us.

I wasn't convinced. The inspectors hadn't turned up enough evidence to show me that we needed to boot Saddam out of power based on his weapons capability. I did state that I thought Saddam definitely needed to be removed based on human rights issues, but that I felt it may be a very bad precedent to set. We already had so many people angry at us, and now we were going to throw out a country's leader without a "legitimate" excuse in the world's eyes?

Then the bombs started.

And it was my war. Those were my soldiers. Because I am an American.

You see, regardless of individual feelings about the war, WE ARE AT WAR.

There's no walking away from it. The worst thing we could do is abandon Iraq. Imagine if we yielded to the cries of "Bring the Boys Home". Imagine if we left Iraq--and the Iraqis--today.

First of all, Iraq would be up for grabs. It would be a chaotic mess, and you'd probably see a 1990s Afghanistan-type situation with warlords fighting each other.

Second of all, with the entire world watching, America would be backing down from a handful of guerilla fighters. Imagine budding terrorists' reactions to THAT.

We're there and we have to stay there. Iraq is now our responsibility whether you like it or not, and we have to finish what we've started.

Posted by Jennifer at May 4, 2004 01:54 PM

Comments

Sing it, sister!

Posted by: Jim at May 4, 2004 02:20 PM

I agree!

Posted by: cj at May 4, 2004 03:19 PM

How do you keep saying what I think? Are you sucking ideas out of my mind like some kind of thought vampire or something???

:-P

Posted by: Jack at May 4, 2004 03:36 PM

"We're there and we have to stay there. Iraq is now our responsibility whether you like it or not, and we have to finish what we've started."

Unfortunatly, most of Europe agrees with us. It's just that they also think that we have to finish it by ourselves.

Posted by: Gilly at May 4, 2004 11:01 PM

Gilly - I wouldn't mind finishing it without European cooperation, as long as we didn't have to put up with their obstruction & propaganda.

Posted by: Harvey at May 5, 2004 11:38 AM

That is what it means, in part, to be American. Once the hard decision is taken, agree or not, irrespective of your political affiliation, you support your country and the men and women who put on the uniform. I couldn't agree with you more.

Posted by: Random Penseur at May 13, 2004 06:28 AM

Gilly - we started it by ourselves, why shouldn't we finish it by ourselves?

Posted by: Vincent at June 11, 2004 09:07 AM


Jew