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Editorial: War is here, so 'move on' The Journal Star, Peoria, Ill. March 20 Today the United States finds itself in an unprecedented war of our choosing, which most people in the world, and many Americans, have believed all along to be a mistake. It has come anyway. And so, as the name of the anti-war group "Move On" implies, it is time to "move on" to the next phase: to voice the hope, or to say a prayer, that the fighting will end soon, that few - on either side - will die, that destruction will be minimal, that fears of new terrorist attacks will prove groundless. The way to a quick peace is a quick victory. This does not mean, as we are beginning to hear with some frequency, that those who continue to protest the war, or to criticize President Bush's judgment, are anti-American. Speaking out when one believes government leaders and government policies are wrong is as American as the Constitution, which was written by some of the finest dissenters any young nation has produced. ... Since Americans first began to suspect that President Bush was serious about disarming Saddam Hussein and very likely toppling him, this newspaper has opposed achieving these objectives through military attack. That cause is over now. And so we count ourselves among those who hope the president is right in his belief that this is a necessary war that will make the nation and the world safer, that will help spread democracy in the Middle East, and that will dissuade other repressive regimes from seeking powerful weapons and rewarding terrorists who would strike us. By these very tough standards victory will be measured. LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. OTHER: Road Cams Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -