Sources reported this week that 2,000 American soldiers have died in Iraq.
I will not use this information as an argument against the war in Iraq, but many others will continue to use dead soldiers as one of their points against Bush’s erroneous efforts.
Yes, the government didn’t find any bombs or chemical weapons. Yes, we can’t settle an ancient Middle Eastern dispute with brute force and self-righteous philosophy. Yes, we need to leave everyone alone and isolate.
But stop using dead soldiers as a point against the war.
This is not a sound argument. Soldiers are supposed to take orders from the government. If they die, they died doing their jobs. They signed up for it. They chose. There wasn’t a draft.
In other words, who are you to say that their lives have been wasted? They died selflessly. And if for some reason a soldier complains after he signed up, that’s not the government’s fault. Everyone knows death and injury are possibilities when you’re in the Army.
Plus, Iraq just passed a constitution. Who knows? Maybe the war hasn’t been a complete waste. You certainly can’t make any judgments now. You can only do that with time.
Lastly, these mothers who tear Bush apart for the deaths of their sons need to be a little more rational. Perhaps they should’ve discouraged their sons from signing up. But they should definitely respect their sons’ decisions to fight. And blaming a man who didn’t force their children to sign up is absolutely incorrect.
Therefore, you can be against the war. I think it was a mistake myself. But don’t be against the troops. They give up their lives to serve, which is almost Christ-like.
Most importantly, do not use soldiers’ deaths as a statistic in your arguments. The reasons for this war are either right or wrong, and dead men and women won’t change this fact. Not only that, but you are essentially evaluating their lives that they gave up for you. If we supposedly show respect to the dead, then let’s try to be consistent.