Attaq Iraq?
11/11/2002
I remember where I was when the news first aired that The United States was at war with Iraq on January 17th, 1991. I was fighting with my sister over the remote for the television because she wanted to watch “21 Jump Street” and I did not. A seemingly trivial fact, but now almost 13 years later, we are on the verge of war with Iraq again.
I do not think it is possible to get a clear and unbiased look at Iraq and Saddam Hussein. Most of what we read about or see on the television comes directly from one of the mass medias. Just as content on the Internet cannot be taken as fact just because it has been published, the information supplied about Iraq seems tainted.
I do not doubt that Hussein is a potentially dangerous dictator, and I am tempted to be among the first on line to vote to attack Iraq. One of the factors that causes me to rethink this however are the large percentage of non-Americans that see the United States as the aggressor. I tend to believe that they can more objectively evaluate US policies than the average US citizen who receives their information from the media.
The Constitution guarantees that a person is innocent until proven guilty. Looking at the looming threat of war with Iraq objectively, one can say that they have been convicted without proof of any wrongdoing. However, they invaded Kuwait for which there is irrefutable proof and for which they were sentenced (punished) by the Coalition forces. The United Nations then enacted sanctions (probation) against Iraq to which they violated regularly. If a person violates parole under the United States judicial system, they will likely face additional jail time (punishment). Is this a comparable analogy?
It is a difficult decision to make; risk our armed forces’ lives by invading now or wait potentially risking even more lives if/when Saddam Hussein does acquire “weapons of mass destruction”. To what extent should the US concern itself with issues that do not directly involve itself? Should we risk our military to help people that may not want our help? Military action may lead to the evolution of more Osama bin Ladens and Saddam Husseins that we will face years from now.
Rather than give my outright opinion, which I cannot say is entirely decided, I hope this causes you to further develop your own conclusions. Please help avoid another Vietnam, if we do go to war give our soldiers the support they need!
Why? Just Because!