Ah, no
Thursday, March 20, 2003So, it's war.
A while back I said I didn't know what I thought...see, a lot of people will tell you that they do know what they think about the war, but I think that either they are a) one of the very few who have enough facts to draw a real conclusion, b) Are picking up whatever party line they feel comfortable with (the majority) or c) just flat out lying. Here's what I do know:
I feel terrible about it.
I feel funny because people naturally lump things together...we aren't comfortable seeing the pixels, we need to see the pciture they make up...but, well, each pixel, in this case, is self aware. Whether it uses the brain God gave it or not is its business. So, to all these poor people in Iraq, to all of you who are not from the US but who read my journal, I'm the bad guy. I'm the bully...but I'm not. The choices that have been made are not the choices I would have condoned.
I feel even worse that I don't have any control...right or wrong my government...my vaunted By the People for The People...is going to do what it wants. What I want...what *I* want is a national health care plan. What I want is to be able to get my father to go to a doctor, and have the doctor actually help...actually @!#!! listen to us instead of fobbing us off wth more pills we can't really afford. What I want is Biush not to give the rich a frickin' tax break, then put us back in debt, instead of using the money he refunded us to do something useful...what I want is my government to stop dipping into Social Security.
Now, the trend sounds quite self centered, but I have a point. I'm saying that instead of war, we ought to be tending our own wounds, instead of being hypocritcal, acting like we don't have our own problems. Yes, I'm scared of terrorism...yes, I want to help the people of the world. I don't want people to be hungry, or homeless, or scared. But...oh, and brace yourself, I'm actually going to paraphrase the Bible...we need to take the beam from our own eye before we can get the mote from our brother's eye...i.e., we need to stabalize ourselves, put good programs in place that protect our own people, so that then, we can reach out and help others. During this time of looking at our problems, the UN could have been doing its job, and perhaps this war could be avoided.
What really bothers me is that I don't know enough to decide...yes, Saddam Hussein seems to be a pretty nasty bit of work. I do know that he should no longer be in power...but is that really the agenda, here?
Perhaps my biggest crime isn't ignorance. Perhaps it is thi, and it is something I think I share with all my Americans: We want to beleive. We want to beleive our president is doing the right thing. We want to think that our country is making this sacrifuce of people and money for the good of Iraq. That when this is over that all will be great, the UN will still be in one peice.
But all I feel right now is worry. I worry about the soilders we've sent over there, I worry about the people of Baghdad, I even worry, oddly enough, about the archelogical treasures that may soon be nothing more than rubble.
And I worry about the consequences...
But one last thing. I do support the soilders who are being taken from their families and sent to fight. They are brave, good people, who are following orders, who have great faith and determination. I can not help but admire them, even as I worry.
I pray for a quick, painless as possible end. I pray for what is right.
My love to you all. Especially since you read this rather silly rant.
Permalink Cindy scribed this at 5:52 PM
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