Escaping Tears - Iraq Quagmire Continues to Create Questions

A tear escapes from the corner of my eye, as I swallow deeply and take a deep breath. This is the method I use to stifle the emotions that would trigger a flood if left to flow freely. The cause of my angst is that I just don't understand, or possibly, that I understand way too much.

On the nightly news another bus, full of young men and women, weaves through a gauntlet comprised of flag waving, patriotic members of a small community. Which community doesn't matter. The same event is happening in towns and cities all over this great country. Although I don't know any of the people waving flags or any of the duty bound people on the bus, a tear still escapes from the corner of my eye.

The mothers, the spouses, the children, and veterans of wars past, are all saying the same thing. They look at the camera with a false air of bravado and tell whoever is watching that although they disagree with the purpose of their loved ones exodus, they support them and are proud of them. And then a tear escapes from the corner of their eye.

They know their loved ones joined the military to support and defend the United States of America and the freedoms she was founded on. They are proud that their sons and daughters, husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, and brothers in arms are fulfilling their responsibilities as Americans. They support our troops fulfilling their duties, but at the same time, question the reasons they must do so. The questions are legitimate, logical and tough, while the answers remain vague and evasive.

The question asked most by people seems to be the same one toddlers repeatedly ask of the people they trust and rely on for guidance. Why? This simple question can precede an infinite number of subjects relating to these busses. The obvious and most innocent queries range from, "Why does Daddy have to leave," to "Why did Mommy have to die?" The questions get more complicated from there.

A friend of mine angrily confided in me not that long ago, a situation that has him asking why? The young lady that he is in love with, a 26-year-old single mother, is in the Army Reserve and is also a college student who earns straight A's. Her enlistment was over March 11, 2005 and plans were made for her future as a civilian.

In the middle of February she was informed that her Reserve unit was being activated and her enlistment was being extended for two years. On March 22nd, she got on one of those busses destined for Baghdad, leaving behind her 5-year-old daughter, the man who loves her deeply, and a full college scholarship. The Army needs this bright, young lady to drive a humvee through a war zone. My friend, as a tear escapes from the corner of his eye, wants to know why?

I can't help but ask why more Americans aren't asking why? This war was declared to combat terrorism directed toward the United States in the aftermath of 9/11. The government propaganda machine went into full action to build on the fear caused by the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. They added fictional arsenals of weapons of mass destruction to garner public support for the invasion of Iraq. Then, against the wishes of the international community, American warriors and a handful of allies toppled the evil regime of Sadaam Hussein. When they pulled him out of that hole, why didn't we see a tear escape from his eye?

Why isn't the United States any safer from terrorism threats? Why has it cost hundreds of billions of dollars and the lives of over 3,000 of America's bravest men and women? Why is a young, single mother who has fulfilled her commitment to service, needed to risk her life driving a humvee? Why does the Bush administration insist that other nations adopt our ideals and form of government, which were based on freedom, while stripping us of the very freedoms our ancestor's fought and died for?

Why don't we actually invest the resources needed to track down and eliminate Osama Bin-Laden and the people responsible for the horrible events of 9/11? Why is there no plan to end the madness in Iraq? Why do the people that 51 percent of American voters trust and rely on for guidance fail to give real answers to these legitimate questions? There are many more questions just like these. Why aren't the American people insisting on real answers?

I submit that the answer to all of these questions is this: Our political leaders prefer to keep the people they represent perpetually confused, afraid and feeling powerless. A public that can't make sense of what's going on around them are reluctant to admit their ignorance and therefore remain silent. This country is torn between supporting its loved ones, who are duty and honor bound, and insisting on answers to all the whys. They don't speak out for fear they'll appear unsupportive or un-patriotic.

A half century ago, Americans who exercised their Constitutional rights to free speech and expression, were labeled unpatriotic and Communist. As Joseph McCarthy conducted a witch hunt supported by the government, more and more American voices were silenced by fear. If Americans objected to the rape of their rights, they risked their reputations, their families and their livelihoods. Why does it appear nothing was learned from the past?

Once again, we are fighting a war in a foreign land for reasons that are unclear. The people we trust to support our interests are infecting us with fear caused by dishonest propaganda. Due to the erosion of our constitutionally guaranteed rights, the gradual disappearance of a free press and the fear that we the people cannot offend the hierarchy without risking persecution, America is not asking why.

The soldiers continue to get on the bus, their loved ones continue to wave the Flag, the death toll keeps rising and I continue to ask why? Then a tear escapes from the corner of my eye.