Why does the general public not understand that we cant just pack up and walk out of Iraq.?

Question

We buried my brother Randy who was killed in Afganistan on July 9. Everybody I met who attended the funeral understood it, then I saw some protesters along the roadside waving signs denegrating his sacrifice. Are our young people really that ignorant and naieve about the realities of armed conflict?

Hathor the funeral announcement was posted on the web, released by the DOD to news media, and in the local paper. We had the service at the Air Force Academy Chapel.

Col. Hackworth, I am familiar with your record of service to your country and I am honored that you chose to respond to my posting. I do not concur with much of your assesment of our reasons or need to be in Iraq, but I understand and appreciate your point of view. Thank you and all of the other veterans who have responded, for your service to our nation.

Answer 1

Because people listen to the media more than common sense. You hear these people on talk shows talking about how bad everything is and how we need to get out of there as fast as humanly possible, but it's only people that want atention that get atention. People think because something is said on national telivision that it must be true, when in reality, people go on those things because they know people will listen to it because it's told by our "so reliable media." If we were to just pack our bags, and come strait home, we kill ourselves because we are now allowing people in hiding to cause terror and destruction on the iraqi and afgan people, not to mention regroup. Another thing people don't understand is that these terrorest and such people are devoted to killing people who don't believe what they believe, which is anyone who believes in america, or anyone who believes people should have the right to be diferent, or have there own beliefs.
And yes, our "young people" realy are that ignorant, and naieve. People become easly brain washed to the point where they let others decide what is right. Me, i studdy a couple things independently...history, goverment, polotics, and science. Science was not used throughout my opinionatied answer, but the others were, this has a point to it...
...todays young people also are easly swade by what people have to say because they are not well enough informed, they only here what is said on the TV, and the radio, and therefore don't think enough for them selves.
To put this in to more of a perspective...I am 15 years old, i am a "YOUNG PERSON," and i am not NAIEVE, or IGNORANT, ok, mabye a little ignorant, but my point is that if a "young 15 year old person" can think on there own, and not let other people do so for them, WHY CAN'T A GROWN PERSON DO THAT...i've heard people say that if the future is going to be controled by my generation, than the world is in for a world of hurt, but i'm thinking that if our futures are bleak, it's not all my generations fault. In other words, not all young people are so ignorant and naive that the world is uncontrolably doomed, but we are going to need some help from the truth through the media. In the future, it won't be the ignorant naieve people running the world. They'll be the talk show hosts.

Answer 2

I'm sorry to hear about your brother and I appreciate his sacrifice and the loss you must endure. In my opinion protesting at anyone's funeral for any reason is intolerable. I've never witnessed it happen and I shudder to think what might if I did. Especially when the one being buried has fallen in the line of duty in an effort to aid and/or protect those protesting along with their rights to make such a protest.
As far as 'understanding' about pulling out of Iraq I can only speak from a historical perspective. We really couldn't just pack up and walk out of Vietnam either, but we did. And, just about all of the arguments I'm hearing today on why we shouldn't pull out of Iraq are the same ones I heard about pulling out of Vietnam. Personally I don't support a 'pull out' but I won't be surprised if it happens.
What I do understand is that politics in this country have become so polarized that giving an inch, right or wrong, to the other side is harmful to your party and requires that the other side be shown as politically impotent even if they want to do the 'right' thing. One party may need to stop the other party from doing the 'right' thing so they can do it themselves and get the credit for having done it.

Answer 3

Im an MP in the Army and sorry to hear about your loss. We have a society that only cares about themselves. We give people way too much freedoms that they dont deserve in the first place. Only people that have loved ones, friends or been in the military understand the sacrifice. Im 21 and it really makes me wonder where our young people are headed. All those that died in combat for this country will always be remembered. Every time i see the red stripes in the U.S. flag, its the blood of the fallen that keeps the flag flying

Answer 4

It only appears as if the general public does not get it. The news media does not understand that we cannot pack up and leave so they make it appear that the entire population agrees with them.

I was walking through downtown Oklahoma City when I came across a group of 10 anti war protesters. Their dutiful idiots from the press was there filming them. The cameraman placed the camera on the ground and filmed upwards. He had the protesters stand shoulder length apart. This created the optical illusion of a large crowd.

I also heard a report on the radio that there was a large protest on the the north side of OKC. I live near the protest site. I went by and the large protest was two elderly hippies and one veteran. The veteran was a guy who I got to admit got kicked out of the Navy over drugs. He admitted this after challenging me to a fight; he very quickly withdrew the offer after I enthusiastically accepted.

Just my personal experience alone leads me to believe the group that does not get it are the old guard hippies who want to relive their glory years; and their younger counterparts who they have brainwashed. They are few and far between.

I appreciate your sons sacrifice; we will not allow his memory to be tarnished by allowing the politicians to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory again. This time WE have a voice

Answer 5

Its not a matter of nt understanding it--more than its the american public is fed up with the loss of lives.

Sorry about your brother, and there shouldnt be picketers at a funeral.

But heres the thing...a phased redeployment is possible.
A withdrawal back home is one thing--but whos ever talked about that?

We have unfinished business to take care of.
We need to find those responsible for 9/11 ..and an overwhelming force deployment in Afgan is whats needed to make that happen.

So, its not as easy as people think, but then again, it can be.

but until we start fighting those repsonsible for 9/11 this whole failure in IRAQ doesnt make sense...tats what Im fed up with, and cant comprehend

Answer 6

Sorry about your brother, there is no freaking way those protestors had any right to do that..if i had an ak, i;d do my own little drive my on them (jk)

but the deal with iraq is that the goverment is just trowing money away on companies like halliburton, blackwater and yadaya yada... yeah i saw loose change..and it makes perfect sence..


Good luck choose best answer..there's a lot here ^ X2 about the oil Industry.

we are in iraq as of now, maybe to restore a dem. govt but we sure are as hell wasting billions and some how making money or i dont know wtf the gov't is doing.

im 18, i've believe this for years.. bush was right to go in to take sadam out of power...after a while he was just making sure his cabinet got the goods.

Answer 7

First off, may God bless and comfort your family. Losing an immediate family member is the most painful grief anyone can feel.
Second, we could "just pull out." Like we did in N. Korea and Vietnam and Desert Storm. Hell, we could have pulled out of WW2, WW1, the Civil War or the Revolutionary War. What threat did our rightful sovreign, King George pose to us? What threat did the Confederate States pose to the U.S.? What threat did Kaiser Wilhelm pose to us? What threat did Hitler pose to us? ( Think before you leap at that last one, how could Hitler have crossed the Atlantic Ocean against the largest, most advanced Navy on Earth, and maintain a supply line fighting 150 million Americans on well-infrastructured U.S. soil?)
These neo-hippies will never understand how a demonstrated willingness to fight for a just cause against bad men is the best disincentive against future tyranny around the world. Don't take my word for it, look at where we have backed down:
How did the Russian people fare for 80 years while we left them to their own affairs? 50 million dead. How about the Chinese? 65 million killed. North Korea? What do you think? Vietnam? Ask the relatives of the three million slaughtered in the wake of our "honorable" withdrawal from southeast Asia how they feel about our national conscience.
If a gang was killing people in your neighborhood, would you try to stop them or simply say that they pose no threat to your house, so its not your problem?
Why are the allegedly "sensitive" liberals so insensitive to the suffering of ordinary people around the world in countries which terrorize their subjects? Why is fascism so evil to pinkos, yet any other form of totalitarianism is just a fact of life we have to accept? Because leftists are the biggest hypocrites alive. When Nicole Simpson was killed, they screamed for justice. What about some poor Arab girl of 14 who was raped on camera, then killed for the sadistic purposes of Saddam Hussein? Why is her death so meaningless to the "conscientious" left? Are they really that racist, clannish or nationalistic?
My father, a Vietnam vet, says, "Sometimes, defending your world is more important than defending your country."
My father is a hero to me.

Answer 8

my condolences your brother is a hero in my eyes

because they simply havent been there and or havent served and do not know the situation in full the general public knows the basics that peps are getting killed over there and its not pretty and then you have all these protestors and the works they just want it all to end and want the easy way out

sadily i hate to say it but this war and all other wars tend to cause political and religious wars with in our own back yard it breaks my heart to see a nation so divided when we need to respect eachother

Answer 9

I feel for your loss, but we should have never been in Iraq! They had nothing to do with terrorist or 9/11!

We had 58,229 killed in Vietnam, a war which I was in (1966-67). so don't tell me we just can't pack up and get out!

And I am far from ignorant. Maybe Bush is ignorant, or Nixon was ignorant about war, but I was in one that had a REAL army we were fighting! You aren't going to end terrorism the way we are going about it!


"And I know what you're gonna say next. 'He sponsors terrorism'. Where's the proof? I thought we were going after bin Laden for that. But wait, Afghanistan ain't got any oil. So we need another monster, who's got something worth taking. And Saddam is so damn convenient. Yeah, he's an evil sonovabitch who deserves to be taken out, but are we the ones who should do it? Are our kids the ones who should die for it? Is he worth another Wall like this?

"And what the hell is terrorism, anyway? It's not a thing; it's not a place; it's not a person. It is a political and military strategy, that's all. Having a 'War On Terrorism' is as ridiculous as having a 'War on Flanking Maneuvers'. You'll end terrorism when there's no longer anything for anybody to get pissed off about."

Hackworth, Col US Army. 10 Silver stars, 8 Purple Hearts and 2 DSC's!

Answer 10

Steven, let me first express my condolences for the lost of your brother.
Yes, we can just p/u and leave Iraq, it's that easy. A lot of people would be killed but that's no different than the last 5 years. We are going to leave that country within the next 2-3 years anyway, what diference does it make if you do it now or later.

Secondly, as tax payers, we have a right to decide if this war is simply too expensive for us to bear. I personnally am not willing to bankrupt mycountry for the Iraqi people.