Apr. 09, 2003 - War

I finally had a discussion with the boy about the war. Up until now, I have been silent on the issue. I guess because I don't know how I am supposed to feel. I have been known to be called "un-American" (that is what the boy said, he was only half joking) this pisses me off because it isn't that I am Un-American, I just have opinions because I WATCH the news and I listen to the world around me and I don't just go by what I am supposed to feel. I know a bunch of my friends are like drones and just follow the masses because that is expected. That is not me, I am not like that. I think and rationalize and I don't think it is Un-American, I actually think that is what we stand for...

Ok back to the topic...War. I don't like war, or the idea of war, I mean who does. I also don't like the fact that we as a nation always have to be the first ones to stick our necks on the line. I also don't like how we are trying to stop a man who kills his own people and tortures them and hoards money and won't feed his poor and suppresses his own kind. But I also have eyes and see that things like that happen here in our own country and nothing is being done to stop that. Police beat minorities for no reason here, children starve and all this happens on our soil. So why isn�t' the 80 billion dollars being used to stop this? (That is one issue that I have)

The other issue that I have isn't about oil. We all should know by now that only 2% of the oil comes from Iraq and even then, THEY need the oil and money generated from that oil, not us. But if Saddam is such a madman and his people want to be freed, why can't they do it themselves? I know that might sound rude, but it wasn't meant like that. My point being that this country was started because a bunch of people wanted to get away from England, so they got on a boat and came here. I understand that there isn't any land available to start your own country these days, but why not a revolution? We had one. Even after we left England and had our own land we still had to defend OUR rights as people and start a nation. It might not happen for the Iraqi people over night or in six months, but over time it would. I just don't understand why we always bail other countries out of their own problems.

I can see how the allied forces are making a difference, especially after today, but I have to wonder if they Iraqi people are just cheering in the streets and jumping for joy just because they have to, or are they really going to be free?

I do support our men and women who give their lives to fight on soil that isn�t theirs. I would never look down at a soldier in combat, even if I don�t agree with what they are doing, they have a job and have orders and they are doing it. This is where I flip-flop. I know I sound like I am talking out of both sides of my ass�but really I am not trying to do that. I am trying to make a sound opinion on something that goes far beyond right and wrong and I don�t know if I can come to a decision. Somehow I thought by writing about this it would help and it hasn�t and I sound like a fucking fool who is uneducated.

I just wish I knew the answers to it. But hey the good news is that I know the difference between this war and the one the Palestine�s and the Israeli�s are fighting (that was for you Mimi!)