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U.S. must face possibility of facing past
So I’m watching the news this weekend, and the analysts are talking about the war in Iraq, and suddenly, out of nowhere comes the v—word. Vietnam. I was automatically shocked. This is just something we don’t talk about these days. It changed the atmosphere of the conversation completely. I think it’s like talking to an Israeli about the war in Israel, then finding out mid-conversation the person lost family in the Holocaust. Game over. No more comments. Why are we so afraid to compare this war to Vietnam? Is it because there are too many similarities, and we’re afraid to admit it? OK, let’s talk about it. Both wars were fought far away from the United States—now, it can be said that the Sept. 11 attacks were battles fought in our country, but for argument’s sake, let’s go from the date of the declaration of war—our soldiers traveled to places they probably never would have gone, and encountered a culture they knew little about. Both wars defined presidencies. If it hadn’t been for Watergate, Nixon would probably be remembered primarily for his actions during Vietnam, and it’s looking now like the majority of George W. Bush’s reelection will rely on public perception of the Iraqi conflict. OK, I’m going to say it directly, both wars were someone else’s problem. We as a nation had to be convinced to enter both. In Vietnam, we were afraid if we didn’t go, communism would take over the world. More recently, we had to be convinced that if we didn’t go to Iraq, Saddam would destroy us with weapons of mass destruction. (And you know, I will feel so much safer once we track down those pesky, apparently very tiny weapons). Then there’s that length of stay. These conflicts take a long time to solve. Vietnam’s biggest problem was arguably the length of time we spent there. Perhaps public opinion of our current situation drifted toward the thought of Vietnam when officials could never tell us how long it would last. Latest reports state we should be prepared for at least 5 more years of Iraqi occupation. Let me give you some numbers to think about: 281 American military lives have been lost in Iraq, and 138 of those were killed during the war. That means 143 Americans have been killed since the war ended, and that number is still climbing. When we’re losing more soldiers after the war than we did during it, maybe we’re right to bring the time frame issue into question. The real difference between our current situation and Vietnam is one of the most important ones—general attitude toward the troops. I think what our country has learned throughout past conflicts is that you can oppose the war, but we have to stand behind and support our military. Regardless of our feelings about the situation, our men and women are returning home the way they should be—as heroes. -This columnist can be reached at collegian@csufresno.edu |
