Posted by Dinah on April 6, 2003, at 10:52:57
In reply to This war and the sad human race. Vent, posted by Alara on April 4, 2003, at 5:21:07
I also was distressed by your comparison of our troops to terrorists.
Our troops are being tricked by Iraqi suicide bombers *because* they value human life. Iraqi "elite troops" are hiding behind the skirts of Iraqi schoolgirls *because* they know that coalition forces find the death of civilians abhorrent.
I know far more veterans from the WWII conflict than the Vietnam conflict, possibly because WWII veterans are being encouraged to tell their stories. I've also read some of their stories. I know that all these years later the thoughts of being shot at, how close they came to dying, remain with them. But the thoughts of shooting, the memories of the lives they took, haunt them far more - so much so that the very macho father of one of my friends still tears up and changes the subject.
I suspect that our soldiers there now feel the same.
My brother (if his story is to be believed), is now being trained to possibly go over there. And if he does, he may have to kill. But he's not a terrorist. He's many things, but he's no terrorist. He would never revel in taking lives of civilians going about their daily business. I doubt he would revel in taking the life of an Iraqi soldier who is doing his job and may feel he is defending his country.
War is horrible. No one likes the death and disruption of lives it brings to the people of the country. No one rejoices in the death of soldiers doing their duty as they see it. Well, almost nobody.
You know, when you talk about the sanctity of American life as opposed to Iraqi life, that argument goes both ways. My initial opposition to this war came from the idea that we should mind our own business. Keep to the sanctions. Not put at risk the lives of young American men and women, the sons and daughters and husbands and wives and mothers and fathers of Americans. And that was as selfish and lacking in compassion for the people of Iraq as I could possibly be.
Saddam Hussein is responsible for the death or "disappearance" of *hundreds of thousands*, let me repeat that *hundreds of thousands* of Iraqis. (Source Amnesty Intl) He invaded his neighboring country of Kuwait with no regard for their sovereignty. (Source known history) He was a threat to others of his neighboring countries by his own past actions. (Source known history) The UN sanctions and the resulting misadministration of the oil for food program under his control was responsible for an immensely high infant mortality rate. (Source Amnesty Intl)
Does that justify the invasion of a sovereign country, even one with which we had never signed a peace settlement after a war started by them - only a cease fire? I don't know. Is the trading of the civilian lives inadvertantly caused by our soldiers, and the military lives directly caused by our soldiers, for the lives of those who would undoubtedly been killed or died from malnutrition under Saddam's regime right? I don't know.
But I do know that while speaking of our soldiers as terrorists may be your right under the constitution, it isn't a correct or fair comparison.
And Dr. Bob, why did you make me post this?
poster:Dinah
thread:216112
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20030401/msgs/216662.html