[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. :)

[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 !

[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.

[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

[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.

[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)

[xm177e2]

This type of question is one of the subtle, insidious ways by which pacifists try to undercut the war against Islamic terrorists

There's nothing subtle about it!

[Caipirabob]

Good article. I have to admit in my pre-caffinated state of mind I had already prepared a "flame" in response to the title - LOL!

[Junior]

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

We have an all-volunteer military, and if my kid were old enough and joined, well, in the immortal words of Superchicken, he "knew the job was dangerous when [he] took it, Fred."

I'm a Naval Reservist. I've spent 15 years on active duty or in the Reserves and I have no problem with putting my life on the line in a war with Iraq. Indeed, this will be the first military action in the last decade I feel is worth dying in -- for the first time in a decade we're defending America's interests (which is what I signed on for), not some squishy international meals-on-wheels operation that has no lasting effect and won't be remembered a century from now.

[HamiltonJay]

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

I cannot think of any parent who will ever say to any question of the like "do you want your child to die doing xxxx..." Let's face facts generally no parent wishes their child to die by any means other than old, happy and in their sleep... but life is not simply about what we want. That is a foolish greedy game of narcisim only the most naive would ever propose.

Do I want my child to die via a violent end in the deserts of Iraq? Of course not. Do I want to die a painful violent end in the deserts of Iraq? Of course not... but would I die a violent and painful end in the deserts of Iraq to keep the arab nutballs from getting Nukes? Yes, I would, and I am raising a family that will share those same values.

There are causes and purposes that are larger than ourselves. Thank God most american's understood that in the teens, 40s and 50s. It was only when the self centered overprivileged baby boomers came along that the vaseline blurred vision started to appear. The men and women who fought in WWII and grew up in the depression decided to lavish upon their children opportunity they never had, and who could blame them? Unfortunately they produced a far too large number of overpriveleged brats who think and can see nothing farther than the noses on their own faces.

So, do I want my child to die on a battlefield half a world away? No.... Would I expect him to not fight if the stakes truly were the safety of his own children and country? I know for a fact I have raised children who would go without hesitation.

I always find it amusing, that generally speaking the people asking these types of questions, have no kids.

[Inkie]

Do they ever ask, "Do/did you want your child to die in the World Trade Center?" These people make me sick.

[asformeandformyhouse]

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

I'd rather they die on their feet, than live on their knees.

[Search4Truth]

"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than 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 than himself. -- John Stuart Mill --"

[cynicom]

Pacifists say they are not physical and moral cowards, rather they see themselves as being on a higher plane that far exceeds morality and duty to country. In that context, they withdraw any personal responsibility for the good of society.

This thinking is only a cover for their great fear that they might be maimed or killed, thus send others but not me, I am far above such human frailties such as war.

[fightinJAG]

Of course, I don't want my kid or anyone else's kid to die in Iraq. But I also don't my kid to die in a nuclear explosion in his office building or of some dreadful disease inflicted on him by bioweapons set off in my city.

Freedom isn't free, people. That's why vets deserve our gratitude: they lay their life on the line so that others may live.