Thoughts About The War

I had an interesting conversation with a female soldier last week. It made me think a lot about our commitment to the war in Iraq. I don't think it changed my mind, but it opened my eyes a little to what they go through.

Since all the soldiers I've seen the last couple weeks are pretty nonchalant about Iraq, I was curious as to how dangerous it still was over there. Her comments were quite telling.

She told me that she doesn't know a soldier who has gone over there who has not been in a fire fight and shot at. It is difficult to protect yourself, she said, when anyone can carry a weapon. A few pieces of candy to a kid won't ensure that someone in the crowd won't try and kill you later.

It is the norm here to speak about having been deployed or waiting for your turn to deploy. Many members of the military here have made several trips over to the war zone. So it is a great wonder to me, that under those conditions, these soldiers put their lives on the line for a concept we all believe in--freedom for all.

It isn't a very popular conflict and the upcoming election may alter the outcome, who knows, but we all need to know that things over there are still extremely dangerous for our troops. We need to figure out the best solution for the Iraqi people and a solution that includes protecting our shores from 911-type attacks on our country.

I don't have the answers, but it would be great to bring all those brave young men and women home to their families.