January 13, 2007

(I condition that the following are my personal sentiments as they relate to current events.)

I’m a mother. My son is 16. In a couple of years, he may be put in a position of mandatory draft and military service. That doesn’t bode well with me, considering the current state of affairs globally. Even moreso when considering most of the kids don’t understand/support the rationale for this war. Deja vu.

Based on information available to me, the war in Iraq has no foreseeable and/or favorable conclusion. Hope for the eminent withdrawal of U.S. forces is no longer a vision and, instead, Bush has called for increased involvement including the deployment of tens of thousands more soldiers. (Soldiers currently over in the Iraqi area have been informed their tours may be extended.) Congress isn’t supporting this initiative, and Bush’s own advisors - including current and retired generals, are not favorable of this either.

For all of the missions (related to this war effort) carried out by our military, to the everyday citizen, it appears we’re no longer making significant progress, just regressing. The ‘democratic’ elections anxiously anticipated, planned and carried out last summer in Iraq have not provided a sense of calm and/or balance within a country ravaged by divide.

Iraqi forces trained by the U.S. have become infiltrated with enemies, creating in-fighting. Who’s on our side? It’s hard to say anymore. Every day, we hear more and more reports of bombings, and stepped-up brazen attacks. Casualty and death toll statistics are staggering, while overall support for the war effort is diminishing.

Despite this (and although I’ve lost the optimistic hope that the U.S. involvement will soon be relieved), I will continue to support my soldiers and thank them for all they do to protect our interests. But I have to wonder, can the U.S. ever escape the vacuum we were sucked into in the first place? Is this the prize garnered for our righteousness and arrogance as a world leader?

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