Are We Too Critical of U.S. Government Policies?

I may raise a lot of ire by putting my thoughts in print regarding our U.S. Government policies, and the media's reporting of these policies and their effects, especially with respect to the war on terror. I am not saying that I necessarily agree with the war in Iraq. War is terrible, but the world has never ceased to be in conflict since the beginning of time. What I want to discuss is the generally narrow view that many people have about our government's war on terror.

Being in the midst of the attack on the World Trade Center, I realized very quickly that our lives were to change dramatically. Not only did our sense of safety and security drastically alter, and in fact, disappear, but we, as a country, would have to change the we operated as a nation and within the larger world body. I think most of us expected a counter-attack, and weren't surprised when our troops attacked Afghanistan. The next step of going into Iraq was met with much more skepticism, and I understand that. What I do find annoying is that the media continually focuses on the negative, without giving voice to the positive steps taken in the war on terror, and in Iraq itself. We always hear what still needs improvement, the things we may have missed, and the constant civil conflict in Iraq. These are important things to hear, and our expressing these facts is an example of our freedom of speech. However, we are not hearing enough about the successes, both in the U.S. and abroad. Many things are in place to ensure our safety, or at least attempt to ensure our safety. Nothing can be foolproof because we have an open society, but for the most part, our local and federal governments are working hard at this.

President Bush asked for a global response in the war on terror right after 9/11. Very few countries joined us. Yet, thank God, we have uncovered and prevented some very serious threats since that time. In the meantime, while we complain about things here in the U.S., both Britain and France were trying to unravel dozens of threats during the past few weeks. We outwardly complain about our Country's policies, yet we are welcoming to people of all countries. We do not discriminate or prevent Muslims from practicing their traditions or wearing their traditional dress as do some other countries. We permit everyone, of every faith and tradition, to take advantage of the vast opportunities in our Country. Although we are grappling with the immigration issue, we do not have large immigrant groups sparking violent demonstrations as happened in France during this past year. Therefore, we must be doing something right.

This war on terror is unprecendented in our Country. Just a few days after 9/11, it became evident that this war would have to be waged on many different fronts and in many different ways, and that it would take years to accomplish our goal. We are an inpatient people. We want our troops home NOW. It is a natural desire to see the end of war and our troops coming home, but is it practical at this point? Are we really seeing everything that is happening in Iraq, and in other parts of the world where our troops are stationed? I don't think so.

About six months ago, a temporary worker joined my department. When I inquired whether or not he was a student, or was between full-time jobs, I learned that he had finished his tour of duty in the military. He had been in Iraq. When I asked him how it was, he stated that it was not as bad there as what the media reported. Yes, there were roadside bombings and loss of life, which is always a terrible tragedy, and a terrible price to pay. However, at the same time, the mainstream of life in many areas was moving on.

The challenge for our media and our government's political leaders is to give us a truly unbiased and non-partisan view of the real progress on the war on terror, including the war in Iraq. While many things we are doing are classified, I'm sure there is a different view of the situation that we can hear so that we have the best perspective on the situation. Partisan politics destroys our ability to see the forest for the trees. If we're democrat or republican, we usually hear and understand only one side. As a result, we complain heartily about what is or is not being done. We need to have a full picture of events, reasons, and results in order to understand and support the best actions of our government, both now and for our future welfare.