You did misfire and your apology is accepted. What reminded me of the guys I served with was your monolithic attitude toward going to war. Allow me to explain.
When I was in high school in the 60's, we were fully involved in Vietnam. The draft was in effect, and my older classmates were being conscripted like mad. When I graduated high school in the late 60's, all I knew about the war was what I heard on TV and read in the newspapers. I knew there was a peace movement, but I hadn't given them much thought. I did know that a lot of young men my age were getting chewed up in that meat grinder called Vietnam.
Based on all my older friends who had been conscripted, I decided I should look out for my own welfare. I managed to get accepted in a military college. In my freshman year, the draft numbers were drawn for my birth year. My number was 36. If I hadn't gotten into the college I was at, I was as good as on the bus to basic training.
I dutifully took all my military science courses and was an extremely successful cadet. I was aware of all the peace demonstrations/burning ROTC buildings going on around the country and, frankly, felt more like their target rather than a kindred spirit. I endured the thrown eggs and tomatos when in uniform on civilian campuses. I endured the epithets of "baby killer", etc. as well.
Still, a lot did not add up for me in our engagement in southeast asia. But for me, the die was cast. I was a commissioned officer in the Air Force. Because of my academic credentials (and the fact I wasn't color blind), I was assigned to become an ICBM launch officer. I did my job well and excelled.
Later, much later, I learned that much of what the "peace" activists had been saying had been true. Of course, much of what they said was exaggeration and hyperbole as well.
What I took away from this experience was that my government could be less-than-forthcoming about the facts of war.
Now, I am confronted with a similar situation. My government, for whatever reasons (and they could be very good ones), has not given me enough data to determine whether I am in favor of going into Iraq or not. Honestly, I would have expected some evidence by the time we started a big troop build-up, but again, the government may have good reasons.
I do expect my government to provide me and the rest of the citizens some compelling evidence to justify a military incursion into Iraq before open warfare starts. (BTW, the war has been going on at a more covert level for several months now).
So that's my position: I haven't made up my mind yet. I would imagine that most Americans feel just like me on this issue at this time. I also know, as "The Who" sang, "We won't get fooled again!" |
