Thoughts on the War in Iraq

Like many other people I have discussed the war with over the last several days, I am completely torn between my left-leaning political inclinations and my feelings of patriotism. I wish the Bush Administration would have done a better job explaining why we needed to go to war, particularly beyond simply demonizing Saddam Hussein. Now that the troops are in the Middle East, however, I think that they deserve our support and prayers for a quick end to the fighting with as few deaths as possible.

Bush's main challenge, as usual, is one of communications. He could have presented the reasons war was necessary at this specific point in history in a clear, concise way, showing that war was the only logical conclusion. A nationally-televised address that logically presented this evidence would have gone a long way toward giving the public the reason war was inevitable and unavoidable.

Protesting the War

On one hand, I support the anti-war protesters organizing against the conflict and exercising their right to free speech. However, it seems that there are factions within the protests that have agendas far beyond the scope of protesting.

While I did not witness it firsthand, several close sources related stories of being threatened with violence in and around office buildings in San Francisco's Financial District by protesters. Others were verbally harassed for the simple offense of trying to get to work. This kind of action is ludicrous on many different levels and actually turns people against the protesters cause. Obviously, everyone is concerned about the war in Iraq and what it means for all nations around the world. However, the simple fact of the matter is that people still have to go to work, make money to support their families, and continue to meet everyday responsibilities.

We're all cogs in the machine. I don't think that regular people should suffer at the hands of the protesters for justing trying to get by. The act of going to work is not political...it's a necessity. For better or worse, no matter how one feels about the fighting in Iraq, the mortgage still has to be paid each month.

When Amanda Davis, author of the novel Wonder When You'll Miss Me, told a group of writers in the Readerville (www.readerville.com) community that her father was flying her around North Carolina on a mini-book tour, more than a few had immediate chills, thinking about the danger inherent in such a journey. Our darkest nightmare became a reality when Amanda and her parents died in a crash on March 15. Not only has the world been robbed of a stellar human being, but Amanda (only 32 years old) was an outstanding talent. Her book has already received rave reviews and her teaching career was underway at Mills College in Oakland, CA. My prayers go out to Amanda's family and friends. Like others in the Readerville community, I would love to see Amanda's book show up on the NY Times best-seller list as a tribute to her. I urge you to buy copy(ies) of Wonder When You'll Miss Me and give them out to anyone you know who enjoys great writing.