War
may be the only answer
President Bush wants to get Saddam Hussein
and the rest of the world should let him.
That’s easy for me to say because I won’t
be put in the position of potentially losing
my life over this soon-to-be war, but that’s
not my job, now is it?
I am in no way, shape or form our president’s
number one fan - heck, I’m not even a Republican
- but I think it’s time the United States
takes a proactive role in securing the safety
of not only our country and our people,
but the entire world.
What upsets me most is how hypocritical
our nation can be. The instant war is mentioned
everyone with a dissenting opinion will
do his or her best to let it be known. But
aren’t we the same nation that loved our
president hours after the World Trade Center
was so violently knocked to oblivion because
of his ability to make us think we were
going to get somebody and get them good?
Weren’t we the ones cheering when he told
workers in New York City to make noise because
the people who committed this act could
hear them?
Aren’t we also the same nation that stands
in line for hours to see a movie such as
“Spiderman?” When evil (the Green Goblin)
runs amuck and there seems like only one
final hope before all hell breaks loose,
good (Spiderman) swoops down and saves the
day. When I saw this film, people went bananas.
Am I incorrect in wondering if people think
this sort of thing happens only on-screen
and not in real life?
I don’t like war, and I hope by reading
this no one thinks I do. I’ve never even
been in a fight, (in ninth grade this guy
sucker-punched me, then ran away), and I
hope I never am.
If Hussein, bin Laden, North Korea or anyone
else poses a threat to the well-being of
our planet and someone has the capability
to stop them, not only should they, but
they must.
I don’t want to see anyone get hurt, but
if going to war against someone and losing
a few lives to save civilization is necessary,
then so be it. People hate American intervention
in foreign nations, but what they don’t
understand is without someone policing these
countries; our planet is destined for death.
I don’t think the U.S. can do no wrong.
I know our nation isn’t perfect, but none
are. People complain about U.S. policy,
but these are the same people who are going
to be bitching louder than ever when our
government doesn’t get involved and a madman
like Hussein takes out a huge portion of
the world. Is that what naysayers want -
someone to start a nuclear war? Because
that’s what they’re going to get if these
people aren’t stopped.
Diplomacy is utopian but unrealistic. Critics
want the UN to conduct countless arms inspections
in Iraq. These people seem to be forgetting
peace and understanding isn’t the language
Hussein speaks (Before I get a bunch of
hate mail, that is a metaphor. I’m not saying
the Iraqi language is a violent one). He
doesn’t care about finding another means
to ending this problem before it begins.
Our government knew about Osama bin Laden
long before Sept. 11, 2001, and the U.S.
now has egg on its face. Iraq has the potential
to do the same, possibly even worse. So
why not nip this in the bud before World
War III arises?
The UN doesn’t want our president to go
after Iraq alone. They’re probably right,
but they’re missing a huge portion of the
argument. People view this conflict as the
U.S. against Iraq, and perhaps it is. But
if there’s some long shot that a war occurs
and the U.S. loses, do these other countries
think at some point they wouldn’t be next?
When someone comes knocking on their door
and America isn’t there to save them, they’ll
have second thoughts about this Iraqi battle.
But by then it will be too late.
War sucks. People die. Countless others
are left with nothing. I feel like I have
to repeat myself three hundred times when
I say I don’t like war. I wish it didn’t
have to be that way, but it does.
Some people are insane and unfortunately
this is why peace will never happen. The
best our world can do is get as close as
possible. By not going after leaders who
harbor some ridiculous beliefs, we all suffer.
Ryan Ritchie is a journalism major at
California State University, Long Beach.
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