The Pain and Agony of Lessons Learned Twice

Trying to make the case forwar to physicians—whosejob it is to heal humanity—shouldn't be easy. I'll seek to makethe case all the same—from my ownstandpoint, anyway.

As the harsh military actions inIraq reach beyond saturating newscoverage, I'm trying to maintain myperspective by keeping 2 essentialthings in mind—one of which,unfortunately, too many seem tohave forgotten, and the other, toomany don't know enough about.

LOCATION IS EVERYTHING

Maybe it's because my NewJersey Shore home is so close toground zero (less than 20 miles). Orperhaps it's just an East Coastthing. Whatever the reason, I believethat far too many people—supposedlylearned people—have forgottenor have not learned lessons fromthe horrible terrorist attacks ofSeptember 11, 2001.

For me, everything changed onthat fateful fall day. The Americathat I knew as a youth—an invinciblenation—was no more. I learnedvery painfully that some peoplehave it in for America. While I haveseen miracle-like healing and rebuildingin the time subsequent tothat act of war, that doesn't changethe fact that we are vulnerable. Iwas scared that day—for my family,my nation, and myself. To a largeextent, I feel that way today. Whatconsensus we do have on SaddamHussein is that he's a threat toworld peace. He's had 12 years and17 resolutions by the United Nationsto lower his weapons. It is inthe security interests of the UnitedStates and the world to forciblyremove him from power.

PROTECTING LIVES

After witnessing years of murder,torture, starvation, and humiliation atthe hands of Hussein, America, as agood and decent nation, can nolonger stand by and watch. Thisnation's 2 centuries of history are richwith us finding, facing, and defeatingthe worst forms of human tyranny.

For those seeking to be educated,the facts are quite available andclear. Even Human Rights Watchand Amnesty International—hardlygroups known to be warmongers—know the story. They estimate theIraqi dictator's reign of terror hasclaimed the lives of upwards of400,000 innocent citizens. Another2 to 3 million Iraqis have beenforced to flee their homeland. Eventhe United Nations concedes thatits containment policy of Hussein(who's looted his country for $2billion) causes the death of 60,000Iraqi children every year. These areall conservative estimates of Hussein'sterrorist ways.

If this nation isn't secure andmorally just, then nothing else reallymatters. That's my opinion aboutthe colossal military and politicalevents now taking place. I may be inerror, but I'm not in doubt.