No one is protesting in favor of Saddam or terrorists. However, we are and need to be concerned over why we are at war. Some criticize the protesters for not supporting our troops, but these consciencious objectors are supporting our troops by demanding that we have just cause and reason to be putting their lives at risk and asking them to make the sacrifices they must make. These people are demanding that the sacrifices which must be incurred as a result of the war are justified and necessary. Demanding that the war be a worthy cause is supporting our troops. We need to ensure that the sacrifices they make are admirable. Blindly supporting military action simply because some one beats the drums of war is socially irresponsible. Marching to this beating drum under the idea of patriotism is to deny our duty as Americans to force our leaders to up hold the high standards which should be attributed to their office. Actions such as war are too serious to be pursued as political agendas and to curry favor with special interests. We must demand that a higher purpose exist.

All of our weapons inspectors have failed to provide sufficient proof of weapons of mass destruction. The CIA failed to provide the proof necessary to link Iraq to the collapse of the World Trade Center. Despite this, Bush continually dredges up the memories of Sept. 11 and plays on the emotions of the people who remember the tragedy to reinforce their justification for attacking Iraq. We have failed to prove that Iraq sponsored the terrorist acts which occurred within the United States, however we have found evidence proving that the Saudi royal family sponsored Al Queda . If we are attacking Iraq as a result of terrorism, why do we not attack Saudi Arabia? Not only are we not attacking Saudi Arabia, but, instead, we are using their oil to power our Humvees and tanks. If we are fighting terrorism, should we not be fighting Saudi Arabia to overthrow their terrorist supporting government? If we stopped buying Iraqi oil all together, we could eliminate their means to finance the construction of weapons of mass destruction. We allow Iraq to export 900 million barrels of oil per day in exchange for the humanitarian aid in which they hide shipments of weapons. Oil has a strong influence over our objectives. Stop using Sept. 11 to play on the emotions of the American people and admit that we are really against Sadam and the socially irresponsible way he governs his country. Instead, let’s make our purpose of this war to rid the world of an oppressive dictator who continues to violate basic human rights and cause significant harm to the people of Iraq.

Let us acknowledge that we believe it is our duty to expand our right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness to the rest of the world. Why does America consistently position itself to police the rest of the free world? In the interest of a better world, shouldn’t we be getting some more help?

Why are we selective in where and when we decide to impose our high moral standards on others? Saudi Arabia appears to be off the hook and, while we accuse Iraq of having weapons we can’t prove exist, we turn a deaf ear to North Korea, a country that openly admits to making nuclear weapons and has declared that it will continue to do so. We ignore blatant threats and, instead, pursue Iraq on evidence that would not withstand the reasonable doubt requirements of our own courts.

During this time of war it is important not to lose our social conscience, our sense of self, and who we are as a nation. We must be wary of those who beat the drums of war to excite our emotions so that they may rally the masses to support their cause and not allow ourselves to blindly follow them.

In this time of war it is difficult to make accurate and informed decisions, as it seems that the media has favored real time misinformation provided by government propaganda rather than delayed information, which is complete and accurate. It is no wonder the breaking news reports sound like a recited press release. As contentious citizens, we must demand accurate and in depth information. The media has a civic duty to provide Americans with the information they need so that they may make informed decisions.

For now, let us hope that this campaign is swift, that it brings justice to the people of Iraq, and that our troops return home safely.

– David Wiedaseck is a junior MIS major.