Iraq War

Dear Editor: I'm responding to a letter writer who has the opinion that changing presidents might end terrorism. First of all, let me say that I am proud to be an American, and I am proud to stand behind the president that we have voted into office. I think it's about time we had a president who is not afraid to stand up for what is right, no matter what the politically correct answer is. Second of all, I'd like to make sure all of the American troops who are, or have been, involved with the Iraq War know that we all support you and your selfless endeavor to uphold the democracy of this great country.

Dear Editor: I am not quite sure what Bob Martin's reasons are for writing to the Advocate but he was right about one thing: He does appear to be a bully. If he doesn't agree with Brian Cooney, he has a right to respond to the article but instead he personally attacks him. He stated this: "The troubling part about Cooney is he is anxious for us to fail in Iraq, even though that failure will be very costly to the people of Iraq. But, that's OK with Brian, as long as he gets the personal satisfaction of seeing it fail.

To the editor, To those yelling "liar" you are the ones lying to yourselves. May I remind you it was George Bush who put us into a $3 trillion debt with the Iraq war. To suit his oil cronies down in Texas. Why did you people sit on your hands the last eight years and do nothing against the dictator? Let's not forget that he killed 5,000 and maimed 250,000 of our young people which increased the debt. George Bush allowed big business to make a "killing" off of the poor people.

To the editor, I am a bit mystified by a couple comments in the column, "Moderation is for dessert" (Sept. 10). One is the reference to "the wildest spending spree this nation has ever seen. " I would have thought that honor went to the Iraq war, not to the current U.S. administration. The other statement suggests that we Americans are losing "our liberties, one by one. " I have lived in the United States for almost 70 years, and it seems to me I have more liberty now than ever.

This photo ran ten years ago in The Interior Journal, about one month after the U.S. invaded Iraq in search of weapons of mass destruction. Ten years later, after more than $1 trillion in spending and an estimated 189,000 deaths (including 134,000 civilian deaths), U.S. military forces have withdrawn from Iraq but the country continues to writhe in the throes of an insurgency. But the specter that the Iraq War would become isn't what this photo is about - this photo is about connecting with your hometown, even if you're thousands of miles away, as the cutline reveals:   On the road to Baghdad STOPPING FOR REST on their way through Iraq, this tank crew included two U.S. Marine Corps reservists from Stanford.

Dear Editor: There are two main reasons why we must defeat George W. Bush on Nov. 2: Iraq and the economy. No less a noted figure than former Republican congressman Joe Scarborough recently said, "We are in real economic trouble in this country today. " The evidence in this statement is clear and present and cannot be denied. And what a terrible mess Bush has us in with his illegal war in Iraq. A war that he immediately began planning after 9/11, with absolutely no evidence whatsoever that Iraq was involved.

Dear Editor, I bite my tongue every time I have to listen to someone degrading our president and the war in Iraq. Every war is the president's needless war. FDR is wonderful now, but by 1942, W.W.II was "his war. " Few leaders are popular in their own time. We were told this would be a long, drawn out involvement we would tire of, but we were eager to stop terrorism. Either we fight it in their country or we fight it in ours, that's what the decision was. Either your families and cities get blown up or theirs do. It's not nice, it doesn't sound like anything God wants and it's distasteful to us. But so is terrorism.

Dear Editor, Bush and the Republican Party are in deep political trouble. So Bush is scurrying like a rat in panic mode to "improve" his dismal poll numbers. Frankly, it makes me sick. A few thousand troops on the Mexican border now is much too little, way too late. Sealing of the border should have been a top priority with 9-11. Bush should have sent troops to the border long ago, instead of misleading the nation into the Iraq disaster, for which he deserves to be impeached.

Flags will fly, parades will pass, and the post office and banks will close. Veterans Day has become a part of the fabric of American life, and it should always be so. I've long been an Andy Rooney fan, mostly because I always thought that one day his eyebrows would take over his face. Because I know that he died last week, I tuned in to “60 Minutes” for the inevitable tribute. The story I saw about wounded soldiers returning to Iraq had a profound effect on me. Perhaps because I didn't expect it, one soldier's gripping, personal story of dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder moved me to tears.

Dear Editor, First, it was treason, Now I'm accused of supporting the enemy in Iraq. Let me make things clear. I cannot support the war because of the pack of black-hearted, insidious lies that Bush used to go to war. I very much support our brave troops. They are magnificent. I have no clue as to what "enemy" in Iraq I'm "supporting. " Is it the Iraqi people who are fighting to defend their homeland from foreign aggression? Or is it one of the several factions that are at civil war with one another?