It’s time to end this.

“Fuck Saddam, we’re taking him out.” —President George W. Bush, March 2002

“My answer is bring ‘em on.” —President George W. Bush, July 2, 2003

People lying in the middle of streets, under bloody white sheets. Dripping with blood they screamed murder as their children, friends and family falls down in the dirt and writhe in agony before the comforting blankets of death wraps around them. The sound of blood dripping and splattering on the pavement continues. Then an eerie silence fall over the street and the sound of blood still continues while the wounded life ebbs away…

Children and teens are being brought up living in violence. Not only are they being surrounded by the fighting among their peers, but also by the wars among our countries. Why are we taught that violence isn’t the answer, yet everything in society contradicts this? How will we ever gain complete peace if we keep producing more weapons? Why is it that our most powerful resources and government officials always turn to violence as the answer? To me it seems like war is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Youth adults and army officials are all being killed to solve an issue of peace. If we are trying to make peace in Iraq then why are we doing it in violence? It’s not fair that every American and everyone in any country have to live in fear of war or violence, due to a couple peoples irresponsible decision.

In a time of war, we are wasting billions and billions of dollars on a war. In relation to the war in Iraq we America are spending over 400 billion dollars on the war while our State is cutting back on school budgets. But in general war is never good for the economy. War alone is very expensive, when you think about paying to destroy the country and the having to rebuild it afterward, it can be quite expansive. In addition, people in Iraq, both the Americans and the Iraq are dying from this war. It has gotten so expensive to bury the body, which most people just leave it there to decompose. War is a truly horrible thing.

My position on this issue is that I am against War, and anything related to war and the aftermath of it. Why? Thousands of young men and women are sent overseas to be killed or injured only to return crippled for life or in a coffin. By attacking Iraq, the United States has shown that they are no better than the villain Saddam Hussein. The assaults on Iraq were criminal and wicked acts while they were also unjust and unnecessary.

In an attempt to overthrow Hussein and end his cruel reign of terror, the US sent in an armed military force. Since the beginning of the war, there have been over 3334 military fatalities for the US alone. The US has caused as many, if not more, civilian deaths in Iraq than Hussein did, and in the process we have lost many of our soldiers, in addition to the twenty-six thousand wounded. As England and many other countries try to help us with our fruitless quest, they also lose their soldiers. Not only may soldiers be hurt physically, the images they see in Iraq haunt them forever mentally.

Throughout history, the United States has attempted to overthrow corrupt government in other areas of the world and instating democracies such as ours. What the United States fails to realize is that reforms in a country’s political structure do not occur overnight, but rather to enforce these new changes, money and time is required. Sometimes the money and time seem to be more than we as a country bargain for, but I am a firm believer that you finish what you start. Right now the conflict is in Iraq, where many Americans are angry at the amount of money and time that we are dedicating to installing a democratic government after the overthrow of their dictatorship. As a country, we should be behind our military and our government in supporting their war efforts and attempts to provide freedom and equality for the people of Iraq. This whole issue began when there was a rumor that the Iraq had weapon of massive destruction, and allied with Al Qaeda.

Throughout history there have occurred many tragic events. On Sept. 11, 2001 an unforgettable event occurred, and will be remember throughout the ages of the United States history. On the tragic day of 9/11 a day that will be unforgettable, the unthinkable happened. The terror stuck the heart of New York City, two planes crashed into the world trade center and total chaos occurred, and lives were lost, and many injured. The terror didn’t end there, other plane hit The Pentagon. Thousands of lives were lost in a single morning, people scatter for help and to be saved, and some died trying to save them. On the morning of September 11, 2001, nineteen terrorists affiliated with al-Qaeda hijacked four commercial passenger jet airliners. Each team of hijackers included a trained pilot. The hijackers crashed two of the airliners into the World Trade Center in New York City, one plane into each tower and resulting in the collapse of both buildings soon afterward. This is the result of the War.

After 9/11, uneasiness grew. People don’t feel as safe and always wonder when their last breath will be. In the weeks following the attacks, there was a surge in incidents of harassment and hate crimes against Middle Easterners. A total of nine people are reported to be the victims of the backlash of 9/11. But that’s not all. The war is Iraq is still raging, and by the end of the week, we had lost Billions of dollar repairing, increasing security, and send more troops into Iraq. The attacks were regarded disturbing to children, in which the images of the attack kept on reappearing on the news over and over. People are beginning to feel the pressure of the war and its taking toll on America.

However, some may say others believe that the War in Iraq brought some positive things. Like Saddam Hussein is no longer in power, went to stop the development of Weapon of Mass Destruction, and free Iraq from the grasp of tyranny. Despite this, we left Iraq in a state of chaos, and went out to disarm Saddam Hussein only by a statement that Iraq has a Weapon of Mass Destruction but later found out that Iraq did not have one, but the President argues that Iraq still have the capabilities to make one clearly showing that Iraq was a victim of this whole Issue. No matter where we place our finger, where we point our fingers, the war in Iraq is still raging.  

What does the United States have to gain from a war with Iraq? Why do we try to resolve with peace when we try to accomplish that with violence? Why do so many people die for a pointless cause? Why does the war still continue? These are all the questions people are asking themselves every day. War no matter how or why you say it, is never a good thing. President Barack Obama is going to withdraw the troops from the war. These decisions immediately destroy the possibility of death, pain, and sadness. These decisions are going to make America a better place to live, a bright future, and a more peaceful place to live. This time, we are ending what we started. For good.