2008 Woodie Awards
March Issue: What should Congress do to end the war?
Sam Abney
Issue date: 3/27/07 Section: Issues
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On April 4, 1967, exactly one year before his assassination, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave an eloquent speech urging the United States to end the war in Vietnam. "The world now demands a maturity of America that we may not be able to achieve," he said. "It demands that we admit that we have been wrong from the beginning of our adventure in Vietnam, that we have been detrimental to the life of the Vietnamese people." Today, four years into an illegal war in Iraq that has cost taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars and resulted in the deaths of over 3,000 American soldiers and countless innocent civilians, the United States again finds itself sorely in need of this kind of maturity.
In a recent address to the U.S. House of Representatives, Congressman John Lewis of Georgia reminded his colleagues of Dr. King's words. "Tonight I must make it plain and clear," Lewis said, "that as a human being, as a citizen of the world, as a citizen of America, as a member of Congress, as an individual committed to a world at peace with itself, I will not and I cannot in good conscience vote for another dollar or another dime to support this war." It is high time more Americans opened their eyes to the reality in Iraq and challenged their representatives in Congress to join Mr. Lewis on the moral high ground by refusing further funding for the war.
The administration has made its intentions clear. Whether he is attempting to rescue his legacy, to secure control of Middle Eastern oil or to carry out some other ill-conceived scheme, President Bush is obviously not planning to leave Iraq any time soon. As conditions continue to worsen for troops on the ground, Bush seems only to become more resolute in his denial of the grim truth. He insists America must not withdraw until the "mission" is accomplished, but with each additional day, week and month of brutal, needless bloodshed, it becomes less clear what this mission is.
Supporters of this war claim that its opponents are unpatriotic, that we do not support the troops, but logic suggests the opposite. Patriotism involves much more than displaying a magnet on the back of a gas-guzzling SUV. It is the true patriots who hurt when they see their nation embroiled in an unending disaster, its reputation permanently marred by reckless disregard for decency and international law. It is the true supporters of our troops who cannot stand the idea of even one more pointless death in pursuit of illusory imperialist missions.
America has failed to heed the lessons of the past, and we are paying dearly for our forgetfulness. We stand in need of mature leaders who are willing to admit their mistakes and to take the necessary steps to correct them. Our founding fathers gave Congress the authority to regulate war, and they must now use that authority. The administration has managed this failing enterprise for four long years, and we simply cannot allow them to continue it. The American people have voted for change, and it is time for a response. It is morally imperative that Congress refuse any further funding for this disastrous war so that we may at last begin the long and difficult process of healing and restoration that lies ahead.
In a recent address to the U.S. House of Representatives, Congressman John Lewis of Georgia reminded his colleagues of Dr. King's words. "Tonight I must make it plain and clear," Lewis said, "that as a human being, as a citizen of the world, as a citizen of America, as a member of Congress, as an individual committed to a world at peace with itself, I will not and I cannot in good conscience vote for another dollar or another dime to support this war." It is high time more Americans opened their eyes to the reality in Iraq and challenged their representatives in Congress to join Mr. Lewis on the moral high ground by refusing further funding for the war.
The administration has made its intentions clear. Whether he is attempting to rescue his legacy, to secure control of Middle Eastern oil or to carry out some other ill-conceived scheme, President Bush is obviously not planning to leave Iraq any time soon. As conditions continue to worsen for troops on the ground, Bush seems only to become more resolute in his denial of the grim truth. He insists America must not withdraw until the "mission" is accomplished, but with each additional day, week and month of brutal, needless bloodshed, it becomes less clear what this mission is.
Supporters of this war claim that its opponents are unpatriotic, that we do not support the troops, but logic suggests the opposite. Patriotism involves much more than displaying a magnet on the back of a gas-guzzling SUV. It is the true patriots who hurt when they see their nation embroiled in an unending disaster, its reputation permanently marred by reckless disregard for decency and international law. It is the true supporters of our troops who cannot stand the idea of even one more pointless death in pursuit of illusory imperialist missions.
America has failed to heed the lessons of the past, and we are paying dearly for our forgetfulness. We stand in need of mature leaders who are willing to admit their mistakes and to take the necessary steps to correct them. Our founding fathers gave Congress the authority to regulate war, and they must now use that authority. The administration has managed this failing enterprise for four long years, and we simply cannot allow them to continue it. The American people have voted for change, and it is time for a response. It is morally imperative that Congress refuse any further funding for this disastrous war so that we may at last begin the long and difficult process of healing and restoration that lies ahead.
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