Debate

I sent Matt and others a forward with pictures of US troops in Iraq brushing their teeth with bottled water in a trench, sleeping on top of vehicles, carrying injured children, etc. It was an e-mail about supporting our trips and appreciating their sacrifice.
Matt and I had a fun time during the following e-mail debate...
Matt: I've been meaning for you to correlate this with your Obama support?
Heather: Feel sorry 4 them ...don't you?
Matt: So, my point on the soldiers is if you ask them they say stay and finish the job......and I wouldn't say I feel sorry for them, it's a chosen lifestyle, volunteer army, and a group that is very proud and motivated to do what they do. Most still believe they are in fact fighting the guys that knocked down the buildings whether rest of us want to believe it or not.
I empathize with the struggles they have being away from families and the struggles their families have but especially for those who gave the ultimate sacrifice I think we need to find a productive end, not cut and run.
Heather: A good point. They do sacrifice a lot and I agree that we should support them but I think we're getting nowhere and there might be another answer.
Matt: Such as?
Heather: Bring them home. Stop spending money. Save lives. Bring families back together. Shut down financial networks that support terrorism. Wean ourselves off of middle east oil. Target terrorists in an EFFECTIVE way.
Matt: First how exciting is this we are actually debating a political issue...
1 Bring them home.>>>> Addressed that one
2 Stop spending money.>>>>> cant do that and number 3, 5, 6, or 7
3 Save lives. >>>>> the men and women on of the 82nd airborne etc would argue that is what they are doing...you want car bombs in baghdad or mishawaka?
4 Bring families back together.>>>> everyone wants families back together...so what. The 'guys' join up [ie your brother] because they are willing to put duty and country before family. Even if we shut down iraq we need 50,000 in afghanistan, we need 10,000 in pakistan and if iran continues to pursure nuclear weapons we'll need 300,000 there.
5 Shut down financial networks that support terrorism.>>>>we've been doing this for years in fact nearly the first thing the president did after 9-11 [9-13] was ask [and he rec'd] authority to seize terrorist dollars and it was widely a world wide effort. A continual effort ofcourse.
6 Wean ourselves off of middle east oil.>>>>> sounds great....will you be buying a prius? I am actually looking at a ford escape hybrid which mike mangold tells me he could get, but they are hard to get and it'll cost me about 20% more to buy.
7 Target terrorists in an EFFECTIVE way.>>>> just finished george tenets book....cia director appointed by Clinton, went on to serve until 2004 or so with Bush. There is probably not much they [cia] hasn't thought of and or tried. They are largely accredited with killing about 2/3 of the al quaeda leadership. Whining over wire taps of those who are suspect of terrorism doesn't help but slow the process down.
So if you'd like Im happy to pull all of the actual resources behind those comments. Otherwise, I'm on the edge of my seat awaiting your reply.
Heather: You are getting excited about this, aren't you?!?! :) I will take all of your points into consideration but I'm afraid we will never agree. I don't think all troops are there by choice. I think many of them regret joining. I can't argue with the ones that want to be there but what have they got to show for it. Sometimes you have to cut your losses after a bad decision is made or a plan goes wrong. I don't see any sign of osama bin laden!
Heather: I think obama represents change and hope- he inspires me. I've never been one to follow the elections but this year I feel privileged to vote for someone like him (if he gets the nomination). I like his position on immigration too. He is a thought leader and we haven't had one in the white house for a long time. I understand your reasons but I can't support the war anymore.