Enough is enough
What has been THE dominant debate surrounding the upcoming presidential election? It has overwhelmingly become an obsession with the Vietnam-era military service records of both Bush and Kerry. Both candidates and their supporters have waged bitter attacks on the legitimacy of their opponent’s service. Nearly every day there is breaking news regarding whether Kerry served honorably in Vietnam or whether Bush showed up for his monthly National Guard drills.
This ridiculous back and forth is taking the focus away from much more important issues, the largest in my mind being the current debacle in Iraq. Paul Rieckoff, founder of a non-partisan, non-profit organization called Operation Truth, spoke directly to my frustration when he said:
“Events of 35 years ago have dominated our national dialogue. The United States currently has tens of thousands of troops on the ground in Iraq right now, and the difficulties and dangers they face every day are not getting the attention they deserve from the candidates or the media.”
Between one and three American soldiers are killed every day in Iraq. As has recently been pointed out, this month is shaping up to be the second most deadly month since the war began. Meanwhile, we have a President who somehow thinks the current strategy has been a success, and a Democratic candidate who believes we can somehow get out of the country by merely increasing the number of troops sent there. This is unacceptable. While these politicians are slinging mud, terrorists are slinging bullets and shrapnel, killing men and women half a world away. As a taxpayer, a soldier, and as a human being I want an answer to a question that truly matters. Rightly or wrongly we have occupied Iraq. So what now?
1 Comments:
I wish that you could explain that to the national media. Who cares what George and John did 35 years ago? With you, I'm much more concerned about what they're going to do to clean up the mess in Iraq (and the consequences it's generated elsewhere). So far, I see little to recommend either candidate: Kerry has told us he's for the war, against the war, would vote for it knowing what he knows how, but it's the wrong war, at the wrong time, in the wrong place, and that he'd increase troop strength and reduce troop strength (depending on the week). Oh, and because he speaks French, President Chirac will send in the Foreign Legion. Bush has refused to acknowledge what a mess it's turned out to be or to take any responsiblity for a reckless and foolish decision (one that Kerry supported). I'm thorougly disgusted with both of them.
I'll be following your blog and thinking of you when you're in Iraq. Keep your head down, do your job, and come home safe and sound. -- Tom G. Palmer
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