The Journal of Jon-Jacob F Deal It's Not That Simple
04/29/2004 03:31 p.m.
Today I read a poem that someone had written about the war in Iraq. Although I empathize with the suffering that is going on there, I don't favor the interests of one side or the other. The ideal solution to end the suffering is not for the Americans to destroy all Iraqi resistance or the Iraqis to destroy all of the American soldiers there; you can't remedy that problem by having either side annihilated. The solution is to not have the problem in the first place, but now things can't be undone. Of course I value the lives of the servicemen and women there, and also those of the opposition, but I refuse to accept an outcome that brings victory to those being "murdered for blood money" standing over the graves of my brothers.
Do you think they wanted to be there in the first place?
Most of us aren't bad people, just sometimes badly led. The military is the machine, not the soldiers that comprise it. It's an organization and a force that is too large and has far too much momentum for any one cog to stop. What am I going to do about it? I am going to continue to serve my country the best that I can without compromising my ideals and my values, even though my efforts are often unappreciated by the very people that I am sworn to defend.
To quote Edwin Starr: "War, what is it good for? Absolutely nothing!" I couldn't agree more. But, unfortunately, it's the way the world works, at least, for now... And, as far as the American military goes--In good weather you don't notice the roof over your head, but I'll bet you'd miss it if it disappeared during a downpour.
Out. I am currently Tired
I am listening to Memories
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