As I drove down Highland the other day, I wondered: Do these people standing on the side of the street picketing military action in Iraq have brothers or sisters, parents, friends or spouses? I’m not going to even attempt to convince anyone of my defense for the necessity of this war. There’s nothing I can say to make people stop ignoring the past 12 years of diplomatic dialogue to which Saddam has not responded.
But whether we agree with military action in Iraq or not, we owe it to our siblings, parents and friends to support their efforts. Similar sentiments surface from our allies in the United Kingdom. Diggy Don, whose son left on the Ark Royal to assist American forces in Iraq, adamantly opposes Blair’s decision to deploy troops, threatening the Prime Minister, “Mr. Blair, take note, we’re going to remember this at the ballot box.”
As a third generation U.K. soldier, however, he recognizes his son’s duty and the importance of being supportive, telling the BBC, “Today my son sails on the Ark Royal — he’s going to do his duty, as will all his shipmates.” Once in Iraq, soldiers aboard the Ark Royal will not be activated unless their assistance is necessitated by U.S. forces.
On the home front, Teri Gray realizes the stakes are a bit higher. Our men are on the offense, not warming the bench. An author from Maryland, Gray told ABC News, “Never mind the possible rise in gasoline and heating oil prices. Never mind the effect war would have on the investments in my 401(k). It is possible that my son will be sacrificed.”
As it certainly is possible, we need to be proud of our soldiers; anxious, yes, but proud as well. Although the outcomes of this war may not be entirely elucidated for the time being, our soldiers are fighting a losing battle if we do not support and believe in them. Therefore, I don’t ask you to support Bush’s war. I don’t ask you to agree or disagree with our reasons for taking military action in Iraq. But I ask you to believe in and support your sons, brothers and fathers as well as your daughters, sisters and wives who are in the Middle East right now defending the security of our nation and so many others.
      Try to envision 1944, as America entered World War II, without support on the homefront for our troops overseas. It’s alarming enough that those nations who previously were considered allies are turning their backs on a cause that seeks to protect the national security of so many nations. But in deliberating that issue with French journalist Phillipe Coste, Bill O’Reilly hit on a major point that needs to be considered both internationally and on the home front. Coste questioned O’Reilly, “What is the right we have to impose a government to another country?”
He responded, “If France and Britain and Russia had joined together and had a regime change in 1933 in Germany, you wouldn’t have had 55 million people dead. And the stakes are that high now.”
We may not have the support of a nation that fails to draw a parallel between Sadaam’s present dictatorship and the fact that they could have preemptively prevented the near-death of Judaism in Western Europe just 60 years ago. We need to try to see the similarities between the dictators of our age and the dictators of our parents’ and grandparents’ eras and, more importantly, believe that our soldiers are defending the greater good.
It’s not the time to blame Bush for Tom Daschle’s conjured idea of alleged “failed diplomacy.” It’s irrelevant that Bill Clinton, who failed to take any constructive measures during his office concerning the situation in Iraq, was such a charismatic speaker that he somehow convinced Americans he was doing something worthwhile, though he merely propagated the problem in the Middle East.
The time for finger-pointing and name-calling has come to a close. Daschle’s children, Kelly, Nathan and Lindsay, may not be on the front line, but would he support them if they were? We need to stand by the endeavors of our children, parents and friends as they are lonely, yet surrounded by other soldiers; homesick, yet proud to be defending our nation and afraid, yet so very brave.