THERE'S ALSO HONOR IN NOT GOING TO WAR.Byline: Steve Vlasich VETERAN'S Day 2002 will find America entering the second year of its war against terrorism. With the Taliban stranglehold on Afghanistan broken, U.S. troops continue to hunt down terrorists and to mop up the battle zone. Armed with a congressional resolution that grants him far-reaching and unprecedented war powers, President Bush is gearing up for a showdown with Iraq's Saddam Hussein Saddam Hussein (born April 28, 1937, Tikrit, Iraq—died Dec. 30, 2006, Baghdad) President of Iraq (1979–2003). He joined the Ba'th Party in 1957. Following participation in a failed attempt to assassinate Iraqi Pres. that will extend the war against terrorism into a new and equally difficult front. While Americans stood solidly united behind the president in the days and months after the cowardly terrorist attacks on the American homeland, the extension of the war into Iraq has aroused deep feelings throughout America. National debate has ranged from support to opposition, and not on a strictly partisan basis as might be expected. Opponents call for proof that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction Weapons that are capable of a high order of destruction and/or of being used in such a manner as to destroy large numbers of people. Weapons of mass destruction can be high explosives or nuclear, biological, chemical, and radiological weapons, but exclude the means of transporting or and the capacity to deliver them. Supporters of the president point to the many U.N. resolutions that Hussein has thumbed his nose at. There is little debate regarding the fact that Hussein is a menace to the peace of the region and must go. The problem many Americans have is the bellicose bel·li·cose adj. Warlike in manner or temperament; pugnacious. See Synonyms at belligerent. [Middle English, from Latin bellic manner in which President Bush framed the solution. The more strident the president appeared, the more the opposition stiffened. Debate over the war powers resolution The War Powers Act of 1973 (Public Law 93-148) limits the power of the President of the United States to wage war without the approval of Congress. The War Powers Act of 1973 is also referred to as the War Powers Resolution (Sec. 1). in the Congress left many members saying it was the toughest vote they ever cast. Those who voted not to support the president felt they could be seen as unpatriotic by their constituents. In the end, 296 representatives and senators voted with President Bush while 133 voted against the measure. Party lines were crossed, as in the example of Barbara Boxer Barbara Levy Boxer (born November 11, 1940) is an American politician and the current junior U.S. Senator from the State of California. A member of the Democratic Party, Boxer was first elected to the U.S. , who voted no, while fellow California Democrat Dianne Feinstein Dianne Goldman Berman Feinstein (born June 22, 1933) is the senior U.S. Senator from California, having held office as a senator since 1992. She is a member of the Democratic Party. voted yes. Members of the American military await their orders under a cloud of tension and uncertainty as they face the future. As sworn members of the armed forces, they know they owe allegiance to no one but the president, their commander in chief. As they read the newspapers and listen to the news, they are bombarded with reports that the coming Iraqi war will be different from the Desert Storm campaign of 1992. Then, the Iraqi army The Iraqi Army is the army of Iraq, active in various forms since the country was formed in the aftermath of World War I. Today, it is a component of the Iraqi Security Forces tasked with assuming responsibility for all Iraqi land-based military operations following the 2003 made the strategic blunder of getting caught in the open desert, where they were decimated by the superior coalition air forces. This time, it is reported, Hussein will order his forces into Baghdad and other big cities, where civilians will be used as human shields. Fighting in the unfamiliar streets and alleys of Iraqi cities could expose our troops to withering gunfire from both Iraqi army and civilian guerrillas. Fighting in urban areas is the most dangerous of all combat, as the Germans learned on the blood-stained streets of Stalingrad during World War II. Once again, the bugles This is about the snack food; please see "Bugle" for other uses of this word. Bugles are a corn chip snack food from General Mills. They come in the following flavors: Chile Cheese, Nacho Cheese, Original, Sour Cream & Onion, Salsa, Smokin' BBQ, Churros, Southwest blow and the drums beat to staccato roll as America is called on to send its finest and bravest into battle. As they are sworn to do and have always done, the men and women of the military won't flinch flinch intr.v. flinched, flinch·ing, flinch·es 1. To start or wince involuntarily, as from surprise or pain. 2. To recoil, as from something unpleasant or difficult; shrink. n. , no matter what the cost. Such is the time-honored code of both the regular army and the citizen army, and will be upheld with pride this time again. Veteran's Day is the day set aside to honor America's veterans of all its conflicts, a day when Americans pause to thank those who served to keep us free. As we in our own way honor veterans of past wars and the young men and women who serve in today's military and who will be veterans of some distant tomorrow, let us pay our respect to them this time in a special way. Let us ask our leaders not to rush into war. Let's take our time and see if diplomacy can't work instead of guns as we seek a peaceful alternative. In doing so, let no one be accused of cowardice Cowardice See also Boastfulness, Timidity. Acres, Bob a swaggerer lacking in courage. [Br. Lit.: The Rivals] Bobadill, Captain vainglorious braggart, vaunts achievements while rationalizing faintheartedness. [Br. Lit. , a lack of will or patriotism, but rather we should acknowledge that peaceful Americans would prefer a peace with honor "Peace With Honor" was a phrase Richard M. Nixon used in a speech on January 23, 1973 to describe his plan to pull out of the Vietnam War. The plan specified that a cease-fire would take place four days later, on January 27, 1973. over war. Years ago, a wise man said, ``Old men declare war but young men fight them.'' On this special Veteran's Day, let young and old alike say that we both did all we could to avoid war. If war does come, then we can say it was forced upon us. This would be the finest way to honor our sons and daughters. |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion