Unclear Vision

Everywhere I've been turning as of late, there has been an overwhelming discussion of the War in Iraq. Both Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert had people on last night addressing the war. Newsweek's stories this week all focused on the soldier's lives lost. The network news programs took a break on the war in Iraq last night to tell us about the war on cancer, in response to both Edward's and Snow's diagnoses. But the conversation is never dead.

Should we be calling it a "war" or an "occupation?" Is it right? When should we leave? What would be the consequences of leaving? From what I've read there seems to be no good answer to this question and the default Democrat answer "pull out now" wins out, just by that--default. No one has a good solution.

I read how Pelosi got her antiwar vote in the House, and even though it will be vetoed, the Dems won. Won? Really? They got people to say what everyone has been saying the whole time-- wars suck. We don't want to war, but sometimes we have to. War has consequences and Newsweek illustrates that with their closing article Last Letters. It's a reprinting of deceased soldier's handwritten notes to their loved ones.

Everyone stands up at this point and says how horrible the war is for claiming American lives, but very few are arguing from the standpoint of the Iraqis. I contend that the best case scenario "pull out now" is racism-- and that's not a word I use lightly. Basic at it's premise is that we value American lives over Iraqis. We're tired of seeing our boys, sons, brothers and some sisters, dying to ensure the freedom of Iraqis. We're saying that American lives are more valuable than those of the Iraqis.

But what about their lives? What about their sons? What about their desire to live in a country where they don't have to worry about going to the market and being blown up by a bomb? Or living in a country that doesn't have an oppressive government?

I can't say that I love that we're over there, that we went over there or the results while we have been over there. But if we were all created in the image of God, then that imprint is on them as well. Their lives are as valuable as ours.

As much as we fight the war on cancer, we need to be fighting for the sanctity of all human life-- no matter where one lives.