The Biggest Reason To Bring The Troops Home, NOW!
Democrats have their reasons for wanting to bring the troops home. Republicans have their own reasons for wanting to keep the troops there. You may have your own reasons for why you want the troops to come home or stay put. The bottom line: nobody’s opinion matters. Democrats, Republicans, you, me, everyone else, all of our opinions mean absolutely nothing. There is one single reason to bring the troops home that supersedes all other arguments: simple human morals and decency.
Yesterday President Bush visited the Center for the Intrepid at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, which yielded a number of photo ops with the president for injured Army soldiers. The photos are incredibly gut-wrenching and make you want to burst into tears.
It’s very easy to lose track of what is happening on the other side of the globe during the hustle and bustle of everyday life here in America, and I think every American needs to see these photos and be reminded of just what is happening over there.
To let me further drill home the point, these photos are just of American soldiers. Let us not forget the hundreds of thousands of civilians that have died and millions injured just like in these photographs. Every human life shares an equal value. American, Iraqi, Afghani, we are all equal.
I cannot comprehend how a president can continue to subject human beings to such brutal conditions, let alone go and visit some of the ones he is responsible for maiming. This war needs to end, and it doesn’t matter who stops it or who’s right or wrong we can figure that out later. Just stop the killing and injuring of human beings just like you and me. End the war, now!
9 Comments, Comment or Ping
John Swanson
These pictures are incredibly gut-wrenching, and would cause any moral person to see the need to carefully evaluate the policies that sent them to Iraq in the first place.
But you say that “it doesn’t matter who stops it or who’s right or wrong we can figure that out later.” I would intensely disagree with that statement. In the midst of this war, the most important thing we can do is to evaluate the “rightness” or “wrongness” of leaving, or fighting in, Iraq. The important questions are: can we succeed? Is success, as we’ve defined it, desirable for the US? For Iraqis? Is the current strategy working? Is the war leading us towards a better world? I assume that you’d probably disagree with me about the answers to these questions, but surely you’d agree that they’re important to ask.
War is hell, and always will be, but it can sometimes (obviously, not always) serve the greater good in the end. It’s important to evaluate whether each war is necessary, just, and wise. But to simply say “I don’t care whether this war is necessary, just or wise–I just don’t want anyone else to be injured or die in it” does a disservice to the reasons these truly great men chose to place their lives on the line in the first place. They joined because they were willing to give the ultimate sacrifice for a cause. This cause may indeed be lost today, and if so, we should leave Iraq now–but we owe it to those soldiers, who have given so much for that cause, to think very carefully about such an action before we take it.
Nov 9th, 2007
Libertys Bell
If we had followed the principles that our Constitution is based upon, we would have never went to Iraq in the first place. Yet, most law enforcement agencies claim that anyone who mentions the Constitution is a modern-day radical terrorist. Just think of all the trouble that would be avoided and how strong our nation would be if even a simple majority of Federal and State governments followed the Constitution and the principles upon which the Constitution was founded. Bush and almost every single person in Congress is currently in violation of their oaths of office and derelict in their duty.
Nov 10th, 2007
Jon Holato
@ John Swanson - You’re right I do agree that some of those are important questions to ask, we just differ on the timing. However for fear of digressing away from the subject of this post into an Iraq War debate I won’t elaborate on that.
Regarding the second part of your comment I think that war never serves the greater good and should always be avoided at all costs. Humans have been fighting each other for thousands of years and in the big picture not much has been achieved apart from devising more efficient methods of killing one another. That being said, I have the utmost respect for all of the troops fighting abroad and wish them all a safe return home, hopefully sooner than later.
@ Libertys Bell - I couldn’t agree more. If only the founding fathers had incorporated a “purge” clause whereby we could institute an entire new government during times such as these.
Nov 10th, 2007
Charlie
But doesn’t Jesus say to kill all the Muslims?
Nov 10th, 2007
Robert
well, I don’t quite agree with the “moral” reason to bring them home, some in Iraq and several other countries would disagree….
Sometimes fighting and dying for what you believe is worth it, weather or not Iraq or Afghanistan is worth it will be decided by history.
I think a lot of folks wondered in WW2 if it was worth it, and to this day there are those that feel it wasn’t. Opinions are like butts, everyone has one.
I think posting pictures of wounded vets is tugging at the heartstrings and it only helps the enemies propaganda machine, War should never be taken lightly but once it is started, it should be all or nothing, Iraq is a clusterfu*& only because it wasn’t over quick enough. It took too long and folks without the stomach for success in a PC war, take to the streets and provide ammunition for the enemy….
The Problem with Iraq is not that we went in, it is that we went in and tried to be humane to satisfy the PC Berkely crowd… IF we went in and destroyed everything, killed Sadaam and left Iraq within a month….We would be hearing about how brutal we were and we should have helped them….. Can’t win, as long as those like you only have one goal, complain and whine..
Nov 10th, 2007
N. T. Kuhnle
It is not a war. It is an occupation. An extremely important distinction.
Nov 12th, 2007
Malcolm
Right on N.T. It is important to note that it is an invasion and occupation. Let’s not forget that our founding fathers were slave owning rich old white men who hated democracy but loved money and power. Oh and were masons too.
Nov 15th, 2007
Kmuzu
They same the criminal always returns to the scene. Here is a perfect example of that .. Bush returning to see the results of his criminal enterprise.
Dec 10th, 2007
Kristie Anderson
Thank God for these young men. Although I do NOT agree with the “war” I fully support these young men and women who daily risk their lives. They must certainly have plenty of forgiveness in their hearts to even be seen with Bush, let alone have their pictures taken with him. He is only trying to make himself look good when in all actuality, HE is the one who has done this to these young people. HE should be charged with war crimes against our own people. I despise George Bush but my hat is off and heart goes out to ALL of our service men and women!! God bless America!! THANK YOU!!
Dec 10th, 2007
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