Iraq, The Military, and My Son

I have been following the story of the three missing soldiers in Iraq, and this morning I heard the news of their bodies found, beheaded near where they were ambushed and taken. It hurts my heart. What in the world are we doing there?? Sure, after 911, I was gung-ho in bringing down the terrorists and destroying those involved. And sure, I was gung-ho when Bush told the American people that he was going to bring down Suddam and his "weapons of mass destruction", and yes, I admit I cheered when we captured him and tore his statue down from the town square. But that seems like a lifetime ago. We didn't find any weapons of mass destruction. Oh sure, I think there probably was some buried in the desert sand somewhere, but ok, we searched and couldn't find anything. Suddam is now on trial for the atrocities that he has done to his people. So WHY are we still there?? Oil? To help a civil war between people in another country? I just don't get it. Why is it up to US to "help" all these people in other countries when all the while, our own soldiers are being killed left and right and for WHAT??? Forgive me if I sound harsh and un-caring, because that is far from the truth, but if they are having their own civil war over in another country over religion or whatever, why should we care? I say, let them fight it out. Let them decide HOW their country is to be ran. Why do we have to take our ways and force another country to uphold the way we live? This whole war makes no sense to me. Bush cries out about the "fight on terrorists". Well, that is fine and dandy and I am all for the fight on terrorists. But this is a mish-mash between the fight on terrorists and Bush's own agenda for whatever reason. Innocent people getting blown up every day is not a fight on terrorists. It is people from another country telling us to get the hell out of their country and let them fight it out themselves. We here in America had our own civil war and I didn't see another country coming over here and "helping" or getting involved. We fought it out and the "good" side won. So why can't they?

I heard a senator on tv the other day talking about this war and wanting to bring our soldiers home. He said, "these men and women joined the military to fight for their country, NOT to fight for someone else's country!" My sentiments exactly! and that brings me to my son.

My oldest son will be 17 next month. He has one more year of high school and then his mind is made up to enroll in college and to enroll in the Army ROTC program. He wants a career in the military and to eventually work into a politcal career. He is a bright, stubborn, opinionated young man. He agrees with Bush; that we should stay over there and fight for the cause. Believe me, he and I and his dad get into some heated debates over politics and this war. I'm proud that my son has his own opinions and sticks to them no matter how his parents think or what our opinions are. And as a parent, I will be proud of my son when that day comes where he graduates from college and the ROTC program and becomes an officer in the military. BUT also as a parent, my heart hurts knowing that this damn war may not be over after the five more years of schooling that my son has left. And to know he may be stepping into this horrible place that each day could be his last, well....that thought just makes me feel like a knife piercing through my heart. I am proud of our men and women fighting over there, but I am afraid for my son.

My son seems to think he can change the world. He really does. Even though he agrees that we should be over there, one thing he does not agree with, is the way we are handling things over there. He said our generals and all those men "calling the shots" are doing it "all wrong" according to my son. He said he can't wait until he can make some changes and call some of those shots. My son is a history buff. He can tell you anything you want to know about every past war we have ever been in. He knows the strategy and background and that is what he wants to do in the military. He wants to be a strategist; to plan the attacks and to plan the goals. He thinks he can do it better than the men that are doing it now. I say, "go for it". If anyone can do it better than it is being done now, that is my son. He is tremendously upset with the Washington State Judicial System (a story for another blog on another day), and thinks he can make a difference and change this system as well. That is why he also wants a political career eventually. He wants to change things for the good. Maybe he can. I hope he can.

For now, I just follow the news each day and each day hope that this war will be over soon and our soldiers can come home. But then I hear about the missile crisis in North Korea. Yet another country to piss us off. In 5 years when my son gets done with schooling, it may not be the middle east that we are in war with, but some other country all together. It never ends. Until then, I can only be proud of my son and support his decisions and hope that all will be well with the world.