I am a proud and patriotic citizen of the greatest country on earth, the United States of America. I was born here, and I am a direct descendent of 17th century settlers of New England. I am a veteran of the United States Navy, and retired from the United States Naval Reserve with 24 years of service. I have worked for our federal government as a civil servant for the past 25 years. I am currently an active volunteer in a national organization that augments homeland security. I have always felt an obligation to do whatever I can to help preserve our freedoms and combat injustice. I firmly believe that patriotism is best exemplified by the willingness to make personal sacrifices, and by taking action toward building a better nation.
It is because of my experience and my dedication to our country that I am deeply concerned about our nation's current international policy. As a citizen of this nation I feel compelled to exercise my right to speak out for that which I truly believe.
I am opposed to the idea of the United States initiating a war against Iraq unless 1) we have international support (sanctioned by the United Nations), and 2) it is the last resort. I read the papers, watch the news, and listen to the speeches of our leaders, but I do not buy their line of reasoning. The justification for war sometimes sounds plausible but does not hold up when put in a global perspective. I believe that the costs and consequences of war outweigh any perceived benefit. The immediate result of war is always death and destruction. A human life cannot be replaced. The cost of reconstruction, peacekeeping, and then indefinitely sustaining a new government would be astronomical. A unilateral and preemptive invasion would violate international protocol and more likely spawn future conflict than contribute to a lasting peace. It would most certainly end the inspection process and render the U.N. irrelevant. Much damage has already been done by our narrow minded and arrogant diplomacy.
It is the U.S. administration that has pushed the issue of Iraq's disarmament to the brink of international crisis, through its persistent war rhetoric, aggressive diplomacy, and military buildup. I do give our leaders credit for addressing the problem, and it is in fact the threat of military force that has caused Saddam Hussein to begin limited cooperation with the weapons inspectors. Coupled with international pressure the inspection process is working, albeit not as fast as we would like. The weapons inspectors are asking for months, not years. If we maintain the pressure, the process can continue to work, and we can achieve the goal of disarming Iraq.
I fully support our soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, coastguardsmen and anyone else who is in harms way. What I do question is the intent of our leaders who have placed them there, and the direction this march to war is taking our country, and the world. I believe that as the most powerful nation in the world we have a responsibility to lead the way in seeking the most equitable and sane solution.
Many seem to think that war is inevitable. I say it is inevitable if we think and speak and act as if it were inevitable. I do not question the fact that Saddam Hussein is a ruthless dictator, or that he continues to attempt to deceive the world about his chemical and biological weapons. I do believe that the disarming of Iraq and the removal of Saddam Hussein are in the best interest of the world community. The question is, are there other methods of solving this problem? Of course there are. Military force may at some point be necessary, but other options are still available. The ball is in our court. We have the power to slow the pace or alter the course. I urge all citizens, whatever your belief, to speak up, speak out, demonstrate, write your elected representatives, let your voice be heard. We can all work together toward a victory without war.
