[Previous entry: "Missing the Point on Immigration"] [Next entry: "Catching On ... Like Wildfire!"]
06/22/2006: "Taking the Bad with the Good"
We may be widely split on our opinion regarding the war in Iraq, but I think most Americans support the troops, even if they don't support the war. We all realize that they were sent somewhere dangerous to do a job, and we want them to do the best they can and come home safely.
That's why it's so troubling to see the recent allegations and charges of atrocities committed by our soldiers. I understand that it is a difficult war, and these are young, scared kids. But you cannot allow fear, lack of training, or the fog of war to overcome basic principles of humanity. I know - its a war. But warfare has traditionally been an honorable thing, as oxymoronic as that might sound. Even if the other side chooses to abandon honor and morals, we cannot.
We have asked the Iraqi people to stand up - and sometimes be shot down - for this great experiment we call democracy. Frankly, they are doing a far better job with it than I think we could under the trying circumstances they face. But it is important that America demonstrates with her actions that democracy is not free, and that there can be a price to be paid by those who fail to uphold democratic standards - even by the warriors who fight for that democracy.
Those who commit barbaric acts must be held accountable for those acts. It doesn't matter if it is al-Qaida, Iraqi rebels, or US soldiers. There can only be one standard - the highest one. By taking action against those who fail to uphold the moral standards for which they fight, we send a very powerful message to those who would question our sincerity. It is a message that should resonate with the Iraqi people.
The shame is that the message had to be paid with blood.
