Posted by
Lisa Original on Tuesday, March 20, 2007 7:13:29 PM
Welcome, anyone who reads this post! This is my inaugural post to this blog, so it is a little tenuous. I am starting this blog following the nudge from Mr. Bob of The Daily Blogster. Thanks for the suggestion, Mr. Bob - it was just the extra bit of umph I needed to get going, finally! (Sorry, Hugh - BLOG just wasn't enough!)
Mr. Bob and I had a brief exchange email exchange precipitated by some frustration I was feeling over trying to identify who was organizing a rally at the Colorado Veterans' Monument to support our troops. The planned rally was intended to denounce the Colorado Senate resolution concerning the Iraq War (Title: Senate Joint Memorial 07-002 Memorializing the Congress and the President to Stop the Escalation of the War in Iraq; sponsor Senators Ron Tupa, Ken Gordon et al.;
text:
http://www.leg.state.co.us/clics/clics2007a/csl.nsf/fsbillcont/8F7E0A83FD8F5A4387257251007B791E?Open&file=SJM002_01.pdf).
Here are the reasons I denounce this and other similar resolutions in the Colorado General Assembly or the legislaturs of other states, and the US Senate. My reasons appear in order that corresponds to the resolution, and not necessarily in order of importance to me.
1. The loss of civilians in Iraq:
The numbers of Iraqi civilians who died or otherwise suffered physically are crushing. From what I have
read, the numbers lost in the time the war has been raged is fewer than, sadly, had been lost over a
comparable peiod under the Butcher of Baghdad. Additionally, although we know that some of these deaths
were at the hands of coalition military members, we also know that the vast majority of these deaths
were due to Iraqi-on-Iraqi violence, as well as the actions of non-Iraqi combatants who are using civilian
populations as shields and as pawns to their braoder jihad objectives.
2. Recommendations of the bi-patisan "Iraq Study Group"
Apparently the sponsors are not aware of the general panning the Iraq Study Group report received by
knowledgeable analysts following its release. The reality is, if the US pulls out of Iraq now, not only will the
civilian casualties (which were previously emphasized) skyrocket, all the sacrifice that the coalition
members have made to allow a nascent democracy to take shape will be for naught. Exactly how is that
support for the troops, for our few but dependable allies, or for the Iraqi people?
3. Repsect the patriotism of all Americans
Here, here! I would love it if the supporters of this and similar resolutions would respect the patriotism
of all Americans, INCLUDING President Bush, Vice-president Cheney, and all other conservatives
and Republicans they consistently slag, Case in point: lose the terminology liar, murderer, and the
comparisons of supporters of the efforts in Iraq to Nazis or as fascists (or, as one BTC demonstrator
plasterd on a poster, Voldemort). Also, I think the anti-war types suffer from a terrible case of transference.
Whereas neither the President or members of Congress have challenged the patriotism of dissenters to
the war, I wonder how it is that this is one of the constant laments of the anti-war types.
4. Escalation
I see the increase in the number of troops as the insertion of reinforcements, not an escalation of
hostilities. It wasn't all that long ago that the Dems and others were squawking that the troops were not
being given enough of what they needed to meet their mission in Iraq (e.g., kevlar vests, armored
vehicles). Well, what the troops need right now is reinforcement, and a change in the rules of engagement.
Seems to me that's just what the President is giving them: more trained staff, Gen Petreaus, and a better
set of rules of engagement.
Hope I haven't bored you all to tears. My posts won't be scheduled, but I hope they will be "regular", whatever that turns out to be.