..........the war!

I know I've made some pretty one-sided remarks concerning the current war; but, I think the following is true. Just put away your politics and consider what I'm saying, and think about it. I'm currently watching a rerun of Ken Burn's documentary, The War. If you haven't seen it, take the time to watch (on PBS). It's a three part series on understanding WWII. I thought it was outstanding, and it brings understanding to how Americans react to all the conflicts we've been involved in.

We are, of course, engaged in a very unpopular war in the Middle East. Much like the Vietnam War, the battle lines are often unclear and the mission not nearly as clear as we would like to see. Some of our citizens are for the war and some are not. We as nation, are definitely not on the same page. Sure, sure, it's politics. Our world in America changed greatly on Sept. 11, 2001. I lost a family member that day, and wanted to see justice done. We've never recovered from those attacks and we'll never regain what we lost; no matter what military actions we take against our foes. As a result of the attacks, our economy has suffered, we've lost some freedoms that we once enjoyed, and we've lost citizens and service personnel alike. Over 4,000 are dead, and some estimates even put the number of service personnel wounded as close to 40,000! So what's the deal? A statement made in the opening dialogue of The War puts things in a better perspective. "The war touched every family, on every street in America." Sure, 9/11 touched us all; but it didn't shock us enough to get us all involved. There were lots of flag waving, patriotic songs sung, rousing speeches, and a whole lot of "United We Stand" magnets sold in every convenience store nationwide. America was ready for revenge, and we wanted it now! We attacked with shock and awe. We killed thousands; but we haven't stopped the violence. The American people are growing weary, and the military is being stretched to limits never envisioned. So, what's the problem? America has not made sacrifices at home to warrant such a mission. What are we giving up? My gosh, the biggest news headlines today are concerning something as meaningless as the Davidson basketball team! Today, as I write, we have service personnel who are fighting and dying on the field of battle. Here at home, it's just business as usual. The same thing happened, but on a larger scale during the Vietnam War. World War II was won because America made sacrifices to victory. We drafted every available man to fight and we put all our resources towards victory. Our leaders won't admit it; but, they're at a loss for how to win, and for what will come. As long as it's business as usual, this thing may go on five or ten more years. Is it going to be worth the sacrifice of service personnel? I guess that's a matter of opinion. I highly respect and support anyone brave enough to halt their lives and go on to serve overseas in this conflict. They took the oath to serve at the pleasure of the Commander in Chief of the United States of America. I can't put into words the respect I have for them. I sure hope we can define a mission that will allow us to win and get out of this bloody conflict. Until every household in America makes that sacrifice, I don't see an end in sight.