Are we too soft? Maybe Americans need a little more shaking up

The debate over the right move in Iraq is not over — and both sides of the issue have points that should be considered before and while the nation’s leaders make changes to the policy.

But during his speech Wednesday, President Bush referenced the men and women of generations past — and the victories this nation’s military brought home in World War I and World War II.

The comparison is interesting not just militarily, but because of what it says about this next generation — and Americans in general.

This nation has little to worry about. Even our poor are considered rich when compared to those in other nations. We still have work to do in education, health care and providing for our own, but this nation is doing well — and enjoying freedom that many of us simply don’t think about anymore.

We have not experienced the sacrifices that marked generations of the past and taught them how to be tough and to keep their priorities in the right place.

Even Sept. 11, 2001, and the heartache it caused, seem to be a dim memory for many — if they think about it at all.

Perhaps what is wrong with our policy in Iraq is that we aren’t the same nation that took on tyranny and the horrors of the Holocaust. Maybe we aren’t as tough as we thought we were. Maybe we take for granted the freedoms we have and the opportunities we have been given.

To stand behind the brave men and women who are serving in Iraq, we have to be strong ourselves. We should think about that as we decide what to do next.

Published in Editorials on January 11, 2007 11:07 AM