While watching television last Wednesday night, my programming was rudely interrupted by a special address to the nation by President Bush.
OK, I guess it wasn’t rude. I knew it was coming. People were talking about it all day.
Anyway, I knew the point of his speech was to announce a new course for the war in Iraq, that he is responsible for the problems going on now and that we need to send more troops in to complete the job.
My first thought was ‘OK, I forgive you for the mess-up, but no more troops!?
So many people have died already and it just melts my heart seeing the soldiers kissing their families goodbye ? without knowing if it’ll be the last time they see eachother.
Just last Tuesday, my uncle had to leave for another tour of duty in Iraq with the United States Air Force, so I know how hard it can be to send more troops.
The President has heard countless, after countless critics and congressmen beg him to just pull the troops out of Iraq and that it’s up to the Iraqis to hold their new democracy together.
I agreed with those people, that is until I began to think of the beginning of democracy in our own country.
Afterall, our Declaration of Independence from Great Britain was dated for July 4, 1776, but it took over 10 years before the United States Constitution was fully adopted.
Point being, it takes time for a true democracy to unfold. The Iraqi people had been under a dictatorship rule for so many years, one cannot expect a quick turnover.
People seem to want everything faster … faster internet service, faster food, faster roads. We need to learn patience.
Yes, lives will be lost and yes, large amounts of money will be spent.
The Revolutionary War lasted from 1775 until 1783 and although the official number of deaths of American Revolutionaries is unknown, it is estimated that 4,500-7,000 died.
According to icasualties.com, the total number of confirmed military deaths in Iraq was 3,013.
With change comes sacrifice.
There are some who say the Iraq war wasn’t ours to fight, and I agree to some extent, but I believe that to pull out of Iraq now would just create more problems.
France didn’t run away from helping us during the Revolution. They supplied us with guns, gun powder and other items, not to mention their naval fleet that helped end the war.
President Bush may come off as ‘the bad guy? now, but something tells me that in 10 years people will look back and see how Iraq has changed from a war-torn country into a democratic one.
Maybe then democracy will spread throughout the region and there will be peace in the Middle East.
I guess only time will tell, but I do tend to be the optimist.