Monday, May 30, 2005
Memorial Day 2005
What does it mean to "support our troops"? That's a sensitive question for many of us, especially on Memorial Day weekend. No one can deny the genuine heroism of warriors in action. And we can all honestly grieve the young men and women who have lost their lives. For example, this week's Parade magazine that accompanies many Sunday papers (dated May 29) carries the moving story of U.S. Marine Cpl. Jason Dunham, who according to the article was killed saving his buddies from an exploding grenade. Dunham was 22. And Sunday's Doonesbury comic strip consists entirely of the names (part I) of U.S. military personnel killed in Iraq since 4/28/04.
But for many Christians, the war in Iraq is wrong, and the U.S. military personnel shouldn't be there in the first place. We believe that the best way to "support" the troops would be to bring them home. Now.
At this point in the U.S. occupation of Iraq, the occupation itself is a major cause of the problem. The presence of U.S. forces fuels the violence -- which continues to escalate, not diminish (in the past month alone, 600 people have been killed, according to the Washington Post). It's time to bring the troops home.
But for many Christians, the war in Iraq is wrong, and the U.S. military personnel shouldn't be there in the first place. We believe that the best way to "support" the troops would be to bring them home. Now.
At this point in the U.S. occupation of Iraq, the occupation itself is a major cause of the problem. The presence of U.S. forces fuels the violence -- which continues to escalate, not diminish (in the past month alone, 600 people have been killed, according to the Washington Post). It's time to bring the troops home.
