How do we do that without convincing our enemies that we no longer have the political will to defend ourselves?
“Martyr” is Greek for “witness.” The ancient Christian martyrs were rarely people who had actually SEEN Christ or the Apostles – they “bore witness” by their willingness to suffer for the Church. And by no means all martyrs suffered death – most were beaten, imprisoned, and sometimes mutilated but not killed.
Yonnie said:
You don’t have a clue about the average military person. For one thing, they are not at all average. Perhaps it is their self sacrifice that you just can’t understand.
No they don’t they reenlist, primarily, if we believe surveys, out of loyalty to their buddies in their unit.
The implicit premise here is false, for the government of Iraq posed no serious and imminent threat to U.S. security.
In fact, it’s one of the biggest con jobs of all time. Tragically, it has led to the death and maiming of thousands, including non-combatants. Catholics, who should be committed to the Church’s teaching on peace (*CCC * 2308), should be leading the resistance to this unjust war, which continues in the form of an unjust imperialist occupation.
Sheesh, Rich, sorry. Not that YOU have ever made an ad hominem remarks before. At least 99.9% of the people here know that is my way of saying that YOUR post was uncalled for. I respect your liberal perspective, but to imply that we use the Marines to exploit Iraq was about as offensive as I’ve seen. At least I only insulted you, not the entire US Marine Corps, and the country in general.
So what should we do? Will it be enough for you if we apologize to Saddam and put him back in power, or do we have to surrender to him?The implicit premise here is false, for the government of Iraq posed no serious and imminent threat to U.S. security.
None of the alleged weapons of mass destruction have been found, and this hasn’t been for lack of an attempt to unearth them. And there’s no convincing proof of complicity between Saddam Hussein and Al Qaeda. Even George W. Bush himself admitted that there was no evidence of a link between Saddam Hussein and 9/11.
The real motives for the U.S. invasion of Iraq were not the missing WMD’s or defense against terrorism, but rather the perceived need to project American military hegemony, the desire to secure Iraqi oil, the “neoconservative” advocacy of consolidating the U.S.-Israeli military and diplomatic relationship, the plutocracy’s interest in preventing working people from focusing on their precarious economic situation, and routine war profiteering.
In plain English, the American people, including most U.S. Catholics, have been conned.
Of all people, Catholics should be wary about accepting the war-related or other policies of any government which permits mass murder under cover of law. Please recall that this has been the case in our own country since the Supreme Court’s *Roe v. Wade *decision legalizing abortion in 1973. This horrific situation has become more acute since the *de facto *legalization of euthanasia via the court-approved murder of Theresa Marie Schindler-Schiavo on March 31, 2005. The same presidential administration that launched an unjust war in Iraq passively consented to this murder.
The best Web site to consult on the U.S. invasion of Iraq is Antiwar.com.
Keep and spread the Faith.
The United States should comply with Catholic moral principles and international law by withdrawing its occupation troops from Iraq immediately and offering reparations for the deaths, injuries, and destruction that our government and military have caused during our morally unjustifiable invasion of that nation. Let’s support our troops by bringing them home now, before any more G.I.'s are killed, wounded, psychologically screwed up, or infected with depleted uranium sickness.
How about we support them by NOT giving our enemies hope that our political will will collapse and they can win the the streets of the United States what they cannot win on the battlefield in Iraq?
“Infected with depleted uranium sickness?”
Both the US House and Senate passed a resolution instructing the President to liberate Iraq. See:
Just out of idle curiousity, what is the technical name for the sickness as a result of inhaling the powder from depleted uranium and what are the side affects reported in the manual you helped write?
I am sorry, I rather than being a victim of the “Anti-War Movement” during Viet Nam, I feel that you, like one of my business partners, were a victim of corrupt governmental leaders who should have never placed you in harm’s way for no good reason. And, yes, I was part of the Anti-War Movement.
Then on my own behalf and that of my friends who died, let me tell you we owe you no thanks.
So when are you going over to Iraq to help “undo the damage?”
