MB Civic

As sent to the local newspapers.

Cut and Heal
6-25-06

Cut and Run?  Finally, there is a consensus on Bush’s War in Iraq.  They interviewed thousands of US troops in Iraq and some 75% said “get us the hell out of here”.  The General Staff, and a group of former Generals, are now saying it is time to get out.  The Organization of Arab states are saying it is time for the US to get out.  War protesters all over the world have been saying get out.  The other members of the “Coalition of the Willing” are getting out.  The new Iraq government leadership is saying the US needs to get out.  Some (some few with cojones) Democratic politicians are saying we should get out.  The majority of the American people are saying it is time to get out.

But there is one group of people, basically in the entire world, who say we should not get out of Iraq: the Republican Party.  The Republican Party is saying that it is essential that we keep doing in Iraq exactly what is being done.  It is an election year. Right now the key issue in the 2006 elections looks to be the war.

Should the voters believe everyone else that has a stake in the war, or should they believe a pack of politicians that are desperately trying to keep their jobs.   (That is, by the way, the jobs that they just gave themselves a nifty pay raise for.)

The truth here is that is well past time to “cut”, but to “run” would be an utter betrayal of  the troops that have sacrificed everything, and the Iraqi people who have been put through a living hell.

The US has to do something it has never done before.  We need to get out; but from the sidelines we need to put together an international coalition that will do everything that can be done to put the country back together again.  If we do it right, if we are honorable about it (I am not optimistic), this could cost us trillions.

It is time to cut, and to heal.

Patrick Hunter
Carbondale, CO