Do we even know

My feelings towards the war

Do we even know what we are fighting for? Does the government? Do the people here in America or across the World? Do we care?

These are the questions that run through my head as we start a second war in 12 years with Iraq.

I am not for or against the war -- rather I remain more ambivilant than anything else. If I had an actual opinion that would mean I am not sitting here writing about the war. I would be writing my congress person or Senator rallying for or against the war.

I am hurt that my cousin is fighting for a war that is half way around the world while his new bride sits at home, on Camp Pendelton wondering whether her husband (a Marine) will come back whole, wounded, or sadly in a bodybag.

I believe that these are things that our President never thinks about and never had to think about because he never went to war or even served in the armed forces. He was a regular Joe Blow with a politician than President as a father. He did not have to go into the armed forces to pay the bills or get credit for college or University. He was handed the money and or scholarship and then had a grand old time partying (like his now daughters) while getting a degree.

I am also fully aware that there are innocent civilians in Iraq and Kuwait and probably elsewhere in the region whom are going to lose their lives and family members because of the Presidents desires to use force to remove Sadam Hussein and his son's from being in command. Children will lose their parents and parents will lose their children. All of this need not happen if only we could live peacefully among ourselves.

These are my initial thoughts as we head off to war against a country that is not worth my precious time or day that I spend with family and friends. I believe that if the Iraq people wanted to overthrow or assasinate their leader and his family they have the means to do so. There is no need for US to intervene for them.

All I want is for our troops to remain safe. And even so, it is too late because last I heard which was a couple hours ago 16 Marines have already lost their lives due to a transport helicopter going down. My cousin could have been on that helicopter...I guess I will get a frantic sad phone call if he was on that helicopter.

War is really unnecessary but now that it is a reality I want to end as quivkly as possible so people and soldiers can get back to their own daily lives and training sessions -- not war reality missions.

Please pray for our soldiers, their families, and all the innocent victims that will inevitable fall prey to our President's need to hasten the war before the UN could make a vote on the war itself.