President Obama has delivered one of his campaign promises. This August, American forces in Iraq have returned home.
In one of the longest conflicts in American history, the Iraq War lasted from late 2003 to August 2010. Nearly 2 million lives were lost during this conflict, both military and civilian. It was also difficult to watch the nightly, national news and not see stories of service men and women returning home without limbs, or not returning at all.
In 2003 President George W. Bush gave a famous, or sometimes infamous, Mission Accomplished Speech on the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Persian Gulf. Despite this announcement, insurgencies and car bombings were rampant in Iraq.
The Current is a neutral campus newspaper. However, President Bush’s speech was premature and caused more harm than good in Baghdad and other Iraqi insurgent areas. We at The Current are appreciative of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines. But we also believe that these men and women should be given the benefit of the doubt and only be deployed overseas in the direst of situations.
The Bush administration between 2001 and 2008 used the war to pass legislation such as the Patriot Act and other legislation which limited civil liberties throughout the United States. The Patriot Act expanded the power of the federal government and some police forces.
The Current is grateful for the sacrifices military men and women from all branches of the armed forces. We also understand the sacrifices military families give on a daily basis. We are not, however, grateful for the then commander in chief of the United States military for using these men and women for political gain.
The Current is also appreciative of President Barrack Obama for coming through on one of his campaign promises, to bring home troops. If it were not for his progressive agenda and administration, American troops would still be in the Persian Gulf.
Scott Air Force Base in Shiloh, Illinois might have an influx of returning troops looking for work and school through GI bill legislation. We hope and wish that the colleges and universities around the country welcome these people home and give them every opportunity to succeed in life.
The University of Missouri-St. Louis has a new student organization for former military veterans. We hope that these individuals returning home from war zones like Baghdad and Tikrit are given a hero’s welcome.
As for the troops who did not return home, who leave behind wives, husbands, children and other family members, The Current more than thanks you for your service to the United States of America. We also hope that instead of war, death, and destruction, government in the future will decide their differences diplomatically and peacefully, instead of reaching for guns, tanks, and artillery shells.
In conclusion, The Current wishes to again thank the American armed forces from the entire editorial staff and beyond.