Do you want your child to die fighting in Iraq?(reply to this pacifist question)

Capitalism Magazine ^ | Nov. 9, 2002 | Joseph Kellard

[FairOpinion]

Summary: As history teaches that negotiating with dictators and terrorists only emboldens them to launch further, greater aggression against these alleged peacemakers, we must ask pacifists: "Do you want your child to die sitting home passively in America?"

"Do you want your child to die fighting in Iraq?"

This type of question is one of the subtle, insidious ways by which pacifists try to undercut the war against Islamic terrorists. To understand how this is done, we must first take an honest look at our enemies.

Islamic fundamentalists have been threatening death on, terrorizing, and murdering Americans for over 20 years. Islamic radicals took 52 Americans hostages at the US embassy in Iran in 1979, Libyan terrorists in 1988 exploded a Pan Am flight over Scotland that killed 189 American passengers, an Iraqi intelligence officer conspired in the bombing of the World Trade Center that killed six in 1993, and Osama bin Laden's minions in 1998 blew up US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania that murdered more than a dozen Americans. These are some of the many terrorist acts by radical Muslims against Americans that have culminated -- so far -- in the murder of over 3,000 people on Sept. 11, 2002.

While Iran is the root of this Islamic terrorism -- based on a hatred of American values such as freedom and the pursuit of happiness -- Iraq is also among the top terrorist-backing states that must be destroyed. Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein shares the same virulent anti-Americanism and is committed to same use of force as the Islamic barbarians who destroyed the World Trade Center.

In 1988, Hussein used poisonous gas and nerve agents against his own citizens, the Kurds, which counts "as one of the largest chemical attacks ever made against a civilian population," according to The Intellectual Activist. Today, he still possesses biological and chemical weapons that he can unleash on Americans, and he pursues the capabilities to launch nuclear weapons.

If a dictator murders his own citizens with weapons of mass destruction, he would certainly do the same against people he despises above all others (and possibly already has with the five Americans murdered last year by anthrax-tainted letters). Thus, there should be no doubt in any reasoning person's mind that, given the chance, he would kill Americans enmasse.

Now, I would support my child's decision to voluntarily fight against such regimes relentlessly out to destroy us, provided he did so on these grounds: first, in self-defense to preserve his life and freedom, and, second, to preserve those values for the people he values most, his parents and his fellow Americans.

Unlike past US military missions, such as in Somalia and Bosnia, where no self-interested or self-defensive purposes existed for America, US military action against anti-American Islamic terrorists is absolutely an act of national self-interest and self-defense.

Yet the question that began this editorial manipulatively implies that if "your child" fights and dies in Iraq it would be for no good reason, and that his only alternative is to stay home while they, the appeasing pacifists, "negotiate" a "peace process" with terrorists. At root, their question is just part of their ongoing efforts to evade the true nature of our enemies, their threat to us, and our military action against them.

But since history teaches that negotiating with dictators and terrorists only emboldens them to launch further, greater aggression against these alleged peacemakers, we must ask pacifists: "Do you want your child to die sitting home passively in America?"

Naturally, no reasonable parent wants his child to die fighting for any reason. But neither does he want his child to die as a sitting duck at home, as so many children did on Sept. 11, 2001 -- precisely because for decades our so-called leaders appeased terrorists while doing virtually nothing militarily against them.

Our survival and freedom are not guarantees. Sometimes our loved ones must fight in self-defense to preserve these most sublime values, which means some, perhaps many, parents will have their honorable children die in the process. But if few or no children fight in a military mission whose explicit purpose must be to decisively destroy terrorist states out to destroy America, then all of us -- parents and children alike -- will undoubtedly be victim to ever-greater aggression, from more sniper shootings to nuclear attacks.

In short, the pacifists seek our and their own destruction, whether they recognize this or not. It is a psychology borne of a philosophy that fundamentally hates all of existence.

Americans who love life and their freedom must battle the pacifists intellectually to maintain our most important weapon, the one they seek to demilitarize most: the moral conviction that our lives and freedom are our highest values and worth destroying our enemies to keep.

About the Author: Joseph Kellard is a journalist and freelance editorialist living in New York. He also publishes a cultural-political e-mail newsletter. Visit his website at www.theai.net

[FairOpinion]

The anti-war element refuses to even consider the consequences of NOT deposing Saddam and distroying his WMD.

[Reactionary]

"Do you want your child to die fighting in Iraq?"

Child? What? We're going to be sending toddlers?

This kind of loaded garbage doesn't deserve a reply. :)

[Misterioso]

Read the article. You may want to revise your response.

[weikel]

Its an all volunteer army so this is bs.

[Crossbow Eel]

When someone decides to serve the USA they don't pick and decide where and when they will fight. Case in point: 90% of the military was against bombing Kosovo !

[calawah98]

If we lived in a perfect world, we would'nt have to answer such a question would we?

I did not like the idea of the Viet Nam war either, but my son served.

I do not like the idea of this war, my granddaughter is in the Navy, some where over by India.

Do the peaceniks never think of the families that have family and friends putting their life on the line, while they sit here in their own safe little world, and instead of bitching about the war, should be giving thanks to the young Americas' that have, and still, make it possible for them to do their protesting?

[ApesForEvolution]

NO!

And I don't want them to die on an airplane crashed into buildings, or by drinking poisoned water, or a bomb blowing up near their bus, or a nuke going off downtown, or because an islamotrash fanatical shoots them...

[paul51]

You're wasting your time. A true pacifist won't even fight if someone breaks into their home to kill them and a true coward will never accept any reason to go to battle.

[bobi]

Sorry mate Yugoslavia was bombed during the NATO invasion to set up the terrorist state of Kosovo.

Yes 90% was against as it didn't see a purpose.

But US still went ahead with it.

Now 90% of the Serbs feel indifferent to the Muslim aggression on the US.

I just comes down to: WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND.

As for the article it is the biggest crap and the best example of pre-war propaganda I have read for some time.

[Militiaman7]

War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things.
The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feelings.
which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse.
A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight,
nothing is more important that his own personal safety,
is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free.
unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men that himself.
John Mills

[FairOpinion]

Misterioso "Read the article. You may want to revise your response."
-----
You obviously read the article :)
I noticed, obviously from the replies, that others haven't, and are reacting to the title, which understandably inflames any normal, patriotic American.

The article makes the very point that the other choice is to have them be sitting ducks in the US and wait until Saddam bombs us.

From the article:

"Unlike past US military missions, such as in Somalia and Bosnia, where no self-interested or self-defensive purposes existed for America, US military action against anti-American Islamic terrorists is absolutely an act of national self-interest and self-defense.

Yet the question that began this editorial manipulatively implies that if "your child" fights and dies in Iraq it would be for no good reason, and that his only alternative is to stay home while they, the appeasing pacifists, "negotiate" a "peace process" with terrorists. At root, their question is just part of their ongoing efforts to evade the true nature of our enemies, their threat to us, and our military action against them.

But since history teaches that negotiating with dictators and terrorists only emboldens them to launch further, greater aggression against these alleged peacemakers, we must ask pacifists: "Do you want your child to die sitting home passively in America?"

[FairOpinion]

Dutch-Comfort: "We know more about how to run a dictatorship than Saddam does, and we are going to prove it! "

-----

Obviously, you must be one of the Bush-haters, to make such a comment. What happened to democrats.com?

[billhilly]

We don't want to see our children or grandchildren die for any reason, and in modern war, as practiced by the United States, most of the dying is done by the enemy. This misses the point, however.

There is an acceptable level of death while performing in the defense of society. Just look at the numbers of policemen and firemen who die in the line of duty. I have not researched it, but I would not be surprised if that number didn't exceed those american servicemen who died while fighting in Afghanistan. So long as society makes every effort to maximize the safety of its warriors, we have an acceptable risk. The failure to take those risks is where the real danger lies. Slavery and loss of lives is what is not acceptable to america.

Yes, I am a veteran from the fifties and sixties with twelve years of active duty. That doesn't make me an expert any more than someone who is badly wounded or a POW. All it does is refine the perspective.

[JSteff]

Well this is particularly of interest to me as my daughter will be commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Navy by June of next year. So I have given this a great deal of thought.

No I don't want her to die in Iraq... or anywhere else. But who are we to select the time and place. I have to trust that our leaders, and her future commanders will do their best to do their job with minimal casualties.
Hopefully she will keep in mind what I taught her while growing up: always be situationally aware... in school, on the road, at the store... everywhere. Her faith, leaders, and training will do the rest.

No I don't want her to die ANYWHERE before her time, but I don't want anyone - anywhere - to die from what that madman, or any other madmen could do to citizens of our country.... including the cowards who would have us do nothing and hope the bad guys just go away. History has shown they won't and usually the U.S. is the one who has to do it. That U.S. is actually the men and women of our armed forces. Not the cowards walking protest lines against those brave "do somethings" while those "do nothings" sleep in comfort at the end of the day. My father, uncles, grandfathers, father-in-law, mother-in-law, and great grandfathers all did their part in their day. My daughter will be carrying on that brave tradition.

So to those who would protest while our brave children are doing their civic duty I wish you a good sleep that night. I will not have the same,but my sleeplessness will be with pride at my daughters commitment to freedom, our country, and her responsibility and duty as a citizen of such.

If it comes to war, I am sure she will be scared at times but it is out of our hands. It is by her reasoned choice and she WILL get through if that is to be. I hope the protestors can see that she doesn't want to be there any more than them. I do hope that a part of them who would protest will realize that she will possibly be in harms way, and say an occasional prayer for her safety... and for being where they dare not.

After all she will be there for them too.

[calawah98]

Thanks, you said it so much better than I did.

[rdb3]

In short, the pacifists seek our and their own destruction, whether they recognize this or not.

This is why I consider pacifists to be on the same plane as enemy combatants. I make no distinction between them or those whose stated goals are our destruction as a nation.

No mercy.
Coming soon: Tha SYNDICATE.
101 things that the Mozilla browser can do that Internet Explorer cannot.

[a4drvr]

"Do you want your child to die fighting in Iraq?"

No, but I hope he makes a bunch of Iraqi soldiers die in Iraq.(With apologies to Gen'l Patton)

[John Locke]

For all we have and are,
For all our children's fate,
Stand up and meet the war.
The Hun is at the gate!
Our world has passed away
In wantonness o'erthrown.
There is nothing left to-day
But steel and fire and stone.

Though all we knew depart,
The old commandments stand:
"In courage keep your heart,
In strength lift up your hand."

Once more we hear the word
That sickened earth of old:
"No law except the sword
Unsheathed and uncontrolled,"
Once more it knits mankind,
Once more the nations go
To meet and break and bind
A crazed and driven foe.

Comfort, content, delight --
The ages' slow-bought gain --
They shrivelled in a night,
Only ourselves remain
To face the naked days
In silent fortitude,
Through perils and dismays
Renewd and re-renewed.

Though all we made depart,
The old commandments stand:
In patience keep your heart,
In strength lift up your hand."

No easy hopes or lies
Shall bring us to our goal,
But iron sacrifice
Of body, will, and soul.
There is but one task for all

For each one life to give.
Who stands if freedom fall?
Who dies if England live?

- Rudyard Kipling, of course

[FairOpinion]

JSteff: "Well this is particularly of interest to me as my daughter will be commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Navy by June of next year. So I have given this a great deal of thought."
----
God bless you and your daughter. We are grateful for having people like you.