Any American concerned about the war in Iraq has become very familiar with the political rhetoric of the war debate. One of the most familiar lines is the call to support our troops. Its something we all want to do. But the politics come in when you ask what that involves.
On the political right, it means supporting increasing troop levels and continuing American combat operations. To some on the left, it means declaring the war a lost cause and pulling our troops out of a dangerous situation.
Like most Americans, I find myself tackling this question with no military experience to draw on. Ive never served in the armed forces. The closest I ever got was registering for the draft.
But Im pretty sure that if I were serving in Iraq, I would not want to see it as a lost cause. None of us likes to put our blood, tears and toil into something, and then hear someone tell us its a bad idea. And thats a dilemma isnt it? Because it looks more and more like Americas involvement in Iraq is a bad idea, and it may have been a bad idea from the start.
When I think about sending our troops to Iraq or bringing them home, I think about John Kerrys testimony to Congress when he came back from Vietnam. Back then, Kerry was a Vietnam veteran and a prominent war protester. He called for an end to the war by saying to members of Congress, How do you ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake?
It was a loaded question and theres no good answer to it. Yet I do hope all Americans believe that theres honor in sacrifice and its not a mistake to serve your country. To me, there is nothing more terrible or untrue than telling the families of Americans who died in Iraq that their kids died for nothing. On the contrary, they died for all things that make this country great: freedom, equal rights, human dignity, and the belief that all the people of this world deserve the same.
Unfortunately, our fighting men and women serve at the will of fallible politicians. And while a soldiers sacrifice is noble, his assignment may not be. While our hearts should be with the troops, our minds need to stay focused on whether continuing a military conflict is the best thing for this country and for the rest of the world.
I wont say what I think should be the United States next move in Iraq. Decide for yourself whether setting a deadline for withdrawal is a good idea. Decide for yourself whether we should stay the course or cut our losses. Everyones right to do that has got to be one of the things our troops are fighting for.
