by Shelly Estill

Created on: September 26, 2009   Last Updated: September 29, 2009

"With great power comes great responsibility." A quote in itself greatly debated in its origin seems a fitting place to begin. We, in the United States do indeed have a great power. Actually, we have several. The greatest of these powers lie in our Freedom, and in our Hope for the future.

We Americans take our freedoms for granted. We assume we can speak our minds. We assume we have a right to work. We assume we live in a land where our loved ones can leave for work in the morning and return alive because suicide bombers don't threaten our daily lives. For the most part, we're right. But, in this world of terrorists, government sanctions, nuclear proliferation, etc. we are the exception, not the rule.

I have read many times, and it disturbs me greatly, that there is a unified belief that genocide of these people is the only way to win, and that our government lacks the backbone to do what must be done to win. Are we that far removed as a generation from WWII? Have we forgotten we fought to end genocide? Have we forgotten not every German was a Nazi?

We are making some dangerous assumptions here. Not every person in Afghanistan is a jihadist. Not every person in Afghanistan hates Americans and wants us all dead. Just like the Nazi's were a segment of German society, so are the jihadists. "Killing them all, and letting God sort them out" actually makes us the perpetrators of genocide. I hope we're all better than this.

This is not a war strategy, this is a chapter straight out of hell. Most of these people want what we want. Peace, security, to know their loved ones are safe, that their children will have a better life than they have. Don't forget, these are human beings just like us. The same hopes, fears, and desires.

So, the war's gonna bankrupt us? Okay. Then let's surge NOW. End it NOW with the US victorious, not running away like a dog with its tail between its legs. Why wait for the money to all be gone, which of course as we all know, already is. Personally, I don't count wars by dollar signs. I count wars on the loss of American soldiers.

The men and women of our country who put themselves on the line, body and soul everyday so we can continue to enjoy our freedoms we take for granted. Freedoms they fight for in countries that don't have them. In the hopes of making a better world. Isn't that what we all want?

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