Larry.org

It's apparent to me now more than ever that war is a terrible thing. It's been a rough weekend for America, especially for those of us fighting our war in Iraq. I've spent the last few days getting all 'caught up' on the events that are unfolding as we liberate a country through warfare. I've been trying to reconcile myself to these actions we are undertaking. I still believe that we are trying to do what's best but doing it the wrong way.



War, I've been reminded (and I've been reminded of that in a jarring, soul shaking, terrible way), is an ugly, dangerous, unpredictable thing. We all know this. Now, it seems we are all being reminded of this. Will we win? Of course we will. Will we depose and evil and terrible regime, yep. Is it a good thing to remove Saddam Hussein from power? Undoubtedly. Do I feel sick inside watching it happen? Yep, I sure do.



So here we are at war and I hate it more than I ever have before. I know we're very good at reminding ourselves that we're the 'good guys'. I just don't believe there is a clear right and wrong at play here. And I can't help feeling a little outraged at that cause I believe there could have been. It seems to me that the fog of war applies just as much to the moral absolutes that 'forced' us into military action, as it does to the confusion and violence of war itself.



I was watching some coverage of an anti-war protest in San Francisco, I think it was on Friday. There was some footage of a war protester, off camera, and a passer-by, a woman, getting into a shouting match. The woman screamed at the protester (I'm paraphrasing from memory so my apologies if I get it wrong)

"You should kiss the ground your standing on. Our military are risking their lives defending your freedom and you don't even have a clue. Your living in a paradise on earth that's been purchased with the lives of our military and you don't even appreciate it one little bit"

I don't know. It's easy to say that she had a point. I did some marching for causes when I was young. I'm sure that many people that are participating in those marches haven't really thought through there positions as well as they could, many of them just protest because they enjoy voicing contrary opinions. That's a great right we have in this country and I think it's great that people can do it even if they don't really have good reasons to. I'm also quite sure that many people that are protesting do have an idea why they are protesting, and strongly believe in what they are doing.



What's the problem with participating in an anti-war protest at all? I think that protester should kiss the ground. Then they should stand up and say to that woman (right of the tops of their heads not because they spent the last three days trying to come up with what they should have said like I'm doing now):

I do appreciate my freedom in this country. I do appreciate the relative safety we live in in this country. I enjoy, daily, the blessings of prosperity and freedom that so many of us take for granted. I simply believe war is wrong. I consider war evil. I truly believe that unprovoked military force is, dare I say, criminal. That is what I believe. You can tell me why you believe that this war is a necessary evil, you can give me the reasons why we are acting responsibly and in a morally superior way. But you should be aware that I have heard many these arguments over the last year and have come to my own conclusions. Those conclusions motivated me to get off my lazy butt and make this sign and march up an down the streets

Had he further time to reflect, he might also add

My government right now is engaged in war in my name. I want the world to know that I don't approve of it. I want the world to know that just because some polls say that many people do approve of the war, hell even if everyone else on the planet supports this war, I don't. I believe killing is wrong, period. I know that there is ample evidence there are other ways. In case you were going to bring it up, I also believe that just because the UN is ineffective at finding non-violent means to deal with the evil, criminal actions of Saddam Hussein, doesn't mean we've exhausted all the non-violent things America can do to stop this man and his government.

Yeah, if he'd a thought of that and said it and something went wrong at the news network and they actually broadcasted a thoughtful statement, that would have been so much better.



So in figuring all this out for myself, I've discovered I don't see the problem with war protesters. I think it's ridiculous that some war protesters act violently themselves. Certainly not a strong argument for their position and frankly just a dumb ass thing to do. It will definitely mean that the news will cover the oxymoron of a violent peace rally instead of the real reasons people are against the war. Why, then should the peaceful protesters (who I'm inclined to believe are the vast majority of anti-war protesters in the US) think that they are acting in a way that is unappreciative of the country we enjoy living in?



This, to me is indicative of a big ass domestic problem that is facing us, as citizens, in the next few years. We live in a society that doesn't just encourage, but actually celebrates the polarization of viewpoints on major issues. We don't, almost can't, engage in productive dialog. We would rather screw the poor bastards that don't see it our way than consider that our own viewpoints might benefit from learning what reasons others diverge from our 'true way'.



Are we so sure of ourselves, or worse, so shallow and myopic a society that we should look down on, if not outright ridicule those that exercise their right to gather and demonstrate simply because "most of the country" is pro war (according to "the polls")?



I'm still conflicted as hell about large parts of this whole thing. But I am sure that we're doing the wrong thing for the right reason. It's not even that simple though. We're doing what we're doing without what should have been the right effort being expended to find a less dangerous and costly way.



I know a lot of people are convinced that we have to go to war because the UN was "so ineffective". But now we're betting the lives, the young lives of our servicemen and the lives of the innocent citizens of Iraq that they really were completely ineffective. Let's say they were ineffective. I'm pretty convinced they were, does it necessarily follow that because the UN couldn't do it we had to strike?



It's a moot point now, I know. We're in there, we're doing it and almost all that is left to do is pray.



As a man that grew up in the Army (as a dependent), I completely appreciate and respect the commitment and courage of all our servicemen and women in harms way in Iraq. They are our representatives. There lives are at risk, not mine and I can't thank them enough for being willing to do whatever our leaders ask of them.



But just because I feel that way about the individual service-people in our military doesn't mean I can't also see that the actions of our military are our actions as Americans.



I do protest what our leadership is doing in Iraq. I did not ask them to lay these lives on the line in my name. I do not accept that we had explored every option to to honestly avoid the loss of life through our own actions. I did not ask that these specific lives be traded for the freedoms that I enjoy because I am very far from convinced that their lives are being traded for my freedoms.



But now that we are in it. Now that "we" have committed to it. Please god let it be over soon. Let it not cost us too dearly. Let the Iraqi people survive it with as few injuries as possible and let there be some way that we can recover from damage that we're doing to ourselves as a nation as quickly as possible.



But let's remember, the vocal and respectful right to public gathering in the form of protests, rallies, demonstrations or god forbid, vigils, as vital to what makes america the greatest country in the world, regardless of whether you support this war or not.