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Ignoring Iraq is a mistake for Americans The East Oregonian It would be difficult to think of any war this nation entered into that seems to be so overlooked by the public than the looming confrontation with Iraq. The American people seem so preoccupied by the economy and terrorism right here at home that we are not taking this seriously. That would be a dangerous mistake. Most recently, President Bush called up 25,000 more soldiers to head to the Gulf region. Thousands of others already are there or are prepared to deploy. More probably will be called up after Jan. 1. The public seems aware of this, but at the same time oddly removed from it. It's like our nation is on cruise control, remaining silent for or against a war with Iraq. There's a good chance it's because we don't really know what to think about it. That's something our president must explain and do so long before bombs start dropping on Baghdad. It would be difficult to find an American who believes Saddam Hussein is not an evil dictator. And it's also true that most of us believe he should go. His murderous ways and cruelty to anyone who stands in his path are well documented. Why do so many people elsewhere in the world disagree with us on our stance to go to war if UN inspections turn up weapons of mass destruction? Good question. We should never be hamstrung as a nation into depending on the world's opinion on what we must do to keep our country safe. Just the same, it's troubling that we cannot make a better case for war if that's what we intend on doing. Not enough has been said to make that case. Perhaps Americans have been lulled into thinking that military action is mostly bloodless at least from our perspective. Our "smart" weapons, incredible technology and skill of our armed forces are no doubt the best ever seen, but that doesn't mean we should accept anything less than full understanding of what we are getting into and what's at stake. It seems that Americans, for the most part, haven't really settled that for themselves. Everything we've heard or learned is hypothetical or philosophical. Those fall far short of legitimizing pulling the trigger. Perhaps there are legitimate reasons why we must take this action. If so, the majority of Americans will support that. But so far, all we've heard is why we should hate Saddam Hussein. That's an easy case to make, but more is needed before we put our sons and daughters in harm's way. Our president needs to be doing a lot of explaining to the American people. Fifteen-second sound bites are not enough. We need dialogue and no one should be afraid to talk because his or her patriotism will be questioned. This isn't about patriotism; it's about going to war. We should never take such actions lightly or feel smug just because we have the military might to do it. The first time we do, we'll step into a situation from which there is no return. We already live in perilous times. This is not the time to make a bad decision based on incomplete information or complacency. Those two things are all we have right now. 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 -