Media Bias

This picture was on the front of the USA Today Newspaper. What is ironic is that if the picture were to have been taken about 5 seconds later, the little girl would probably be asking the American soldiers for some candy or food. The obvious intent would be to show that our military is over there terrorizing little children. I would hope that even those opposed to our presence would know that our military men are over there protecting the innocent and that it is the enemy that is setting bombs to blow up civilians, use children as protection, and kill all in their path. Unfortunately, I know that is not the case as many are now finding ways of making our military the one that "forced" the terrorists to act the way the do now. Hopefully, pictures like these will not be used much more.

Random thought about Iraq

I am a firm believer in the military. I was raised a military brat, and would not trade it for anything. Along the way I have come to many of my own conlusions about people that do not support the military.

That is where I am a little confused about the issue of not supporting our troops. I know there are many that do not support the war on terror (or war in Iraq). And I understand that they have that right and duty to speak out against the war. What I always get upset with is statements against our troops. Comaring them to Nazi's, etc...

While I feel you have the right to question the war, I feel we should always support our men that are risking their lives for our country.

I also feel that too often we are much to open with our views against the war. That is why I feel America will have a hard time in any upcoming wars in the future, because we will always have those opposed. Giving an open mic to all those opposed gives those we are fighting hope. Setting solid dates allows them to know how long they must last. I would be for taking the news out of wars altogether. While awful things happen in the war, we often lose sight of the objective.

Here is an exerpt from the Heat's Pat Riley. Not really a noted politician but I feel one that hits home a good point.

In discussing the Heat's decision to honor U.S. soldiers at home games, team coach and president Pat Riley offered pointed views today when asked about the situation in Iraq.

''My personal opinion,'' Riley said, is ``what's going on in our country right now is not going to stop until the election because the Democrats, or the other side, or the nay-sayers simply are going to drive it right into the ground and become so negative with what the administration is doing until there's an election to make their point. That won't help anybody.

``That's not going to help the political process. It definitely doesn't help the soldiers because there is such a division over here. My concern is about them. . . .

Iraq

Well there goes bi-partisanship, or at least it seems. President Bush and Congress are having a hard time agreeing on a war strategy in Iraq. It seems Bush has his plan (21,000 more troops) and is asking others if they do not agree with the plan to come up with a better one. This should be interesting. Will we have a new plan from the democrats or will we just here about how bad the one in place is?

20,000 More??

20,000 more troops. Is it worth it? I am not sure. I am not in favor of what is taking place now. So the question becomes: How do we get out?

I am not sure. Do we just pull all our troops out and sit back and watch Iraq go into a full scale civil war? Do we not send anymore troops and try to slowly back out, while watching more soldiers that do not have the means get killed?

On the other side, do we send more troops and try to fix this mess? If that is the case we’ll need much more than just 20,000. But I do not see any democrats allowing more troops.


Here are just a few things President Bush said:

“Victory will not look like the ones our fathers and grandfathers achieved. There will be no surrender ceremony on the deck of a battleship,"

"failure in Iraq would be a disaster for the United States."

Bush acknowledged mistakes in Iraq noting that U.S. forces "have done everything we have asked them to do." He said where blame lies, it rests with him, but efforts by the U.S. were in vain for two main reasons:
"There were not enough Iraqi and American troops to secure neighborhoods that had been cleared of terrorists and insurgents. And there were too many restrictions on the troops we did have. Our military commanders reviewed the new Iraqi plan to ensure that it addressed these mistakes. They report that it does. They also report that this plan can work," ---Fox News


Some of the responses

“We're not going to baby sit a civil war," Sen. Barack Obama

"Tonight President Bush acknowledged what most Americans know — we are not winning in Iraq ... indeed the challenge is grave and deteriorating," Durbin said. "Twenty thousand American soldiers are too few to end this civil war in Iraq and too many American lives to risk on top of those we've already lost.", Dick Durbin Senate Majority Whip

60 civilians said killed in Afghanistan

Is it just me or is anyone else tired of hearing headlines like this one.

60 civilians said killed in Afghanistan

Don't get me wrong I am sad for the loss of any life, American or other. I just want to tell the Iraqi or Afahani "forces"..."QUIT BLOWING YOURSELF UP". I am tired of hearing how the U.S. is causing all the losses of the innocent civilians in suicide bombs. I don't remember hearing about us strapping a bomb to one of our soldiers chests and having him blow himself and several others up.

This probably follows the same line of logic as those who say we brought 9-11 on ourselves. I mean if we'd just allow the Muslims in Jerusalem to have the city to themselves and kick those Jews out, none of this would have been needed. We ought to be nice to these people or they'll blow a plane up in our cities.

For all the people that tell me we ought not be over there. I have yet to hear a realistic way to solve the problem in the middle east. Just like in coaching, it is much easier to critic from the sidelines, than be in the heat of it trying to do what you feel is right.

One blog that I found through Roxy has this article that is done much more elequent than I could ever do check out this blog www.1starfish.blogspot.com