Peace Is A Dirty Word In The Republican Party.

Taking into account the many objections on the part of the Democrats over the war in Iraq, I started to think about those objections.  I wondered what they possibly meant.  I wondered what was possibly missing.

The Republicans have hit hard with labeling Democrats the party of “cut and run,” yet haven’t seen that they’ve labeled themselves the party of “stay and die.” 

I think that we all understand the point of not making ourselves look weak in the eyes of the world, so it seems the Republicans deem this public relations issue bigger than everything else.   I am an American.  I do not want us to come off as deserting the Iraqi people.  I also do not suggest that we make it easier for terrorists to prevail in Iraq or anywhere else.  But, I do object to staying in Iraq to fight a war that we never needed to fight in the first place.  I do object to our troops dying and being injured daily with no end in sight.  I do object to spending billions of dollars for no apparent reason.  It has come to light that our presence in Iraq is NOT making us safer.  So much for “mission accomplished.”

The fact that Bush and his staff presist to defend this illegitmate war of his is pretty disgusting.  But what also disgusts me is their attitude that we have to emerge victorious in THEIR definition of it.  I have not heard not ONE soultion to this whole mess in Iraq from Bush,  he just keeps on repeating that we have to stay there.  And after that, we get the blame game from Republicans; Clinton didn’t do enough, Democrats don’t support our troops, and other lies.  

On the part of the Democrats, they do voice the popular opinion of the people.  Few Americans are for us staying in Iraq.   But why is that my party stops short of calling for peace?  World peace.  Where has that concept gone?  And why has this concept become so obscure in a time when it is so badly needed?  The Republicans seem to have painted peace as a bad thing, a dirty word, a desire for chickens only.  Not so, it is with peace and peace only that people can thrive and make the world a better place. 

I sure wish that some of the Democrats would step up to the plate and call on our leaders in Washington, those with the power, to seek out peace. 

Pulling our troops out of Iraq does NOT mean we are letting go of the war on terror, it just means that we can focus better on the REAL culprits, the terrorists that attacked us on 9/11, not their neighbors.  I have heard of guilt by association, but this new “guilt by proximity” needs to go.  We cannot blame Iraq for 9/11.  We cannot blame each and every place in the Middle East for bin Laden and his crazy followers. 

We need to find a solution, and we also need to call on our “allies” to step in and help us in Iraq.  It seems to me the whole world looks to us to help them when they need it, yet we have been deserted.  Everyone needs to come back to the table and chip in, just like we chip in and help them.

As long as the Republicans continue to remain in the dark tunnels of war, they cannot see how badly this war has wounded the spirit of this country.  These dark tunnels blind them, and it is time we helped them see.  They must see the damage to acknowledge it.  For as long as they deny it, it cannot be fixed.  And they also must hear, and listen. Listen to objections over this war, and realize that implicit in the cries of objection are the calls for peace.