This Easter Sunday only days after the 5th anniversary of the beginning of the War in Iraq, we reached another milestone - the 4,000th American was killed. Four thousand - which means that 4,000 mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, wives or children's lives, will have been changed forever. Four thousand families have been visited by a uniformed officer and a chaplain who delivered in person the news that their family member had been killed.
But we must look at the other side also. Although there is no accurate count, it is estimated that between 80,000 to 100,000 Iraqis have been killed and their families forever changed. To get your mind around this number of people who have been affected by the last 5 years is almost impossible to do for the numbers are so large.
Plus the amount of debt that the US has acquired. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 trillion dollars. 10 trillion! We have borrowed from other countries, 10 trillion dollars, the largest amount from China, a communist country. So we are basically owned by other countries. The interest on this debt is paid by all the income tax that is collected each year.
The last 5 years have produced these numbers, 84,000 killed and 10 trillion dollars of debt. Not to mention, the thousands of Americans who will need their country to care for them for the rest of their lives because of lost limbs or brain trauma. Injured soldiers who in another war in a past time would probably not have survived their injuries.
What have we done to our country? Will God forgive us? Forgive us for wasting the treasure of our country. Because we have not brought peace to this world, are we in danger of eternal damnation of our collective souls.
This is why I keep writing because it is all I can do. At the end of my days when my Savior asks me what I have done - I can say that I spoke out until I did all I could to stop the waste of the war. I spoke up for the 4,000 and 80,000 and against the 10 trillion in debt and I will continue to speak out until I change hearts - one at a time. And when these changed hearts stop the endless waste of money and lifes, then I will stop writing. I will not stop until the war in Iraq is ended and our soldiers are home. I have no choice because it is all I can do.
