Riding the Tide

July 23, 2003

Back in September, I wrote letters to the Congress and the President. I pleaded that war was not necessary. When I sent my appeals, I didn’t really expect much. There were big events happening, and objections from small fry like me seemed fruitless. I still had to do it; to raise my voice and make my stand. I haven’t changed my mind about anything. The war in Iraq was immoral and unnecessary.

The only reply I got back was from Senator Edwards, a form letter which repeated mindlessly all of the rationalizations for going to war. Saddam had gassed his own people. He had a chemical weapons program which threatened the free world. He had provided assistance to the nebulous world-wide terrorist fraternity.

Congress voted overwhelmingly to support the President. Only one lone congresswoman voted against the resolution of support. Only one person in the entire United States Congress was brave enough to raise her voice in protest. The rest of them joined in the rhetoric urging us to war. Even the Democrats. They were riding the tide. Everywhere I turned, the American people were itching for war. The French jokes started. If you weren’t a red-blooded conservative flag waver, man, you’d better watch your back.

Then the show started. The nightly follies as the war machine broke the backs of the Iraqis. I admit it, I was hooked too. I had CNN on day and night. I went on a trip halfway across the country, and everywhere, on every TV and radio station, war news and patriotic music. There were scattered voices of protest, but they were drowned in the overwhelming din of war supporters. Many called it “supporting the troops”.

Well, the dust settled, and guess what? No weapons of mass destruction. No links with Al-Quaeda. No Iraqi yellow-cake deal with Nigeria. Now American troops are mired in a Guerilla war. Now the Democrats are crying foul. Now Congress is claiming they were deceived. They’re riding the tide again. Those chicken-shits didn’t have the balls to complain before, when something could have been done to stop it all.

Back then, before the war, they made their stand. Everyone had a choice. All they had to do was to ask their conscience if this was right or wrong. They could believe the propaganda and that war was the only possible action. Or they could take a step back and say wait a minute. Maybe we ought to think about this for a while. Maybe we ought to form some committees and filibuster over it for a while. They had that choice. We know the choices they made – ride the tide.

So they ought to take responsibility. Is someone going to come out and say “Yes, I voted for war and maybe I was wrong?” No, they’re saying the President made me do it. The President lied. The CIA lied. Well, the truth is that they had that choice. They could have made a stand. The truth is that they lied to themselves. They clung to the coattails of the President until their noses were black. Now they wipe the shit off their faces and say they were lied to.

Is this what our great country has come to? A bunch of cowardly politicians following the wind? This is our leadership. These are the people we depend on to be wise and to make great decisions. It makes me sick to my stomach.