War in Iraq: Is It Really Worth It?

We all know that we have been at war for years and what we are there for. But the question is that is it really worth the risk to be losing so many soldiers? Past posts of mine have given the cost, and the problems with the economy and families, and to sum it all up, none of that is worth losing one life. Though the soldiers choose to take the risk that they know is ahead of them, they know what may result in the end. To many people, fighting is not the answer and solves nothing. Do we really have to fight just to show that we can defend our country. Isn't freedom just supposed to be free? No one ever said we had to fight for it, so we should not have to. Some say the soldiers that died are gone and killed in battle for something they loved or for the freedom that we are fighting for. Is that really true? Or did they just die fighting for something that comes naturally?

At the end of all this are we going to look back and say "We finally got our freedom" or are we going to say "We fought that war for nothing and lost many lives in the process?" Everyone has a different opinion about the war, why we are fighting, and if it is right to be fighting or not. Though we cannot change some one's opinion and we cannot prove anything, we can go on what we believe. So like I said at the beginning...IS IT REALLY WORTH IT???

Do you think that it is worth losing the lives that have been lost or do you think that it is for nothing?

War in Iraq: The Children.

Everyday not only are random men and women from our country leaving for the war, some of them are also parents. Whether their children or young or old, it hurts them all to see their parent leave. Though most children at a young age have no idea what is happening around them, they are still hurting inside because after so long they notice their parent is not around. The worst moment comes when someone has to leave, and the people around them are devastated.


Many children cry when their parent leaves, while others put a smile on their face and try to be brave. Many of the children who do understand what is happening wonder if they will ever see their parent again. They wonder if the will be able to hug them soon and welcome them home. While many children and their families do not get to do this, there are some who cherish the moments of their parent and loved one coming home. It is hard for all children to be left alone, growing up for so long with both parents, then narrowing it down to one.



What about the children who are not born yet, only still inside their mother? They never get to see their dad when they are born, they do not know who he is or know what he looks like and sounds like. They only have the comfort of their mother and other family members, no father to love and hold them. Some parents do go to certain extreems to say goodbye to their children. Many parents will go to the child's school when an event is happening to suprise the child. Though this does help some children to know that their parent really loves them, it is still upsetting to know that they are leaving for a long time and you do not know when they will be coming back.




How upset would you be if your parent left for Iraq?
How would you want them to say goodbye?

War in Iraq: The Casualties.

Since the war has begun there have been many lives lost of soldiers. As I said in one of my previous posts, the death toll for 2008 was lower than the death toll of any other year. The death toll for the year 2008 was between 8,315 and 9,028. With the death toll falling and rising year after year it is sometimes hard to keep up with it and have an exact number. But does the number really matter? Isn't it only that we are losing loved one's and family members? The number should really never matter, though it is in our minds, it is not in the front, only the back, we worry more about the people who we have lost.

Yes, everyday is a struggle hearing on the news that another soldier has died, hoping that is not anyone we know, but feeling pain for other people who have lost that person. If the death toll was between 8,000 and 9,000 in 2008, what will it be like at the end of this year? What will it be like when we get out war and finally come home? The numbers are devestating and our hearts are broken, but we have to stay strong and hope for the best.

Do you think the numbers really matter?

War in Iraq: The Whole History.

Since the war began there is something on the news everyday about the death of a soldier or the rescue of a civilian. On March 19, 2003 President Bush declared war on Iraq. Since this day on our country has never been the same. We always worry what will happen next and worry about our family. After being at war for almost a month the Saddam Statue was pulled down on April 9, 2003. This was to show that he was no longer in power, what he had done to our country was not right, and that we would fight for our freedom no matter the cost. On May 1, 2003 President Bush stated that our mission was accomplished and we had achieved what we went to war for, but did we really? We are still at war today even though he told us we had finished what we were there for in 2003. Two months later Saddam's sons were killed in a raid. Though they were not the people we were looking for it did bring us closer to him, with his loss and devastation. At the end of 2003 we finally caught who we had been looking for. On December 14, 2003 we caught Saddam.

In 2004 the only thing that happened were many car bombings, more deaths of soldiers, and videos and pictures released of people who had been captured and killed. The year 2005 was close to 2004. More car bombings, deaths, and pictures, but this time we lost money. The CPA lost $9 billion dollars in war funds. How do you lose so much money? How can you not keep track of it? With careless things such as this America felt betrayed, people felt that they stole the money and were keeping it for themselves. America lost confidence in many people, causing debates among many.

Then in November 2006 Saddam was sentenced to death by hanging, and the war had the deadliest attack to that date, where 114 people were lost in one day. Months later in December, Saddam was hung. This caused relief to many people, though it is not always the best way to cause death to a person, people were relieved to know that their country would be a little bit safer and they would not have to hide and worry any more. With every year passing, we still stay at war and every year has the deadliest attack. Though President Obama has promised to withdraw the soldiers, can we really do such a thing? We have been there for so long that it would be hard to just walk away. Though these are not all of the events because there are so many I would have to write for days to put them all on here, everyone should understand the point of all of these. Every year gets harder and harder, more deaths occur, and new problems emerge.

Do you think with all the events that have happened that we made the right choice getting into this war?

War in Iraq: Fight To End War.

Everyday there are people fighting to bring their loved ones home. Whether it be protesting by yourself outside, protesting with a group of people in the streets, or going to Washington, D.C. to request a meeting with the president, it is fighting for your loved ones to come home to see them and be with them. Many times the protests do not start until months after a person goes off to war or after they return only to be buried. Families then commit themselves to help bring all the other soldiers home because they don't want other families to experience what they had to go through. There was a woman a few years ago, though I do not know her name, who protested the war after her son left for Iraq. She went to Washington, D.C. to request a meeting with President Bush. She did not succeed the first day, so the next day she went back and did the same thing, every day was a failure. Any where the president went she followed, and though she never got her meeting with the president she made a point to many people. She put an impact on many peoples lives and showed them that even if you can't get what you want you have to fight for it, in the end whether you get what you want or not you know that you tried your hardest and made a difference in someone' s life.


Every day there are many people trying to do this, every second of every day there is someone protesting the war. Whether they be in front of the White House, outside their house, or in the streets of a city, they will be noticed, even if they make no difference in what is happening. Sometimes protests can get very violent and out of hand, but some people feel that they are worth it. Many times police officers are called out to break up the protest or to calm the protesters, and sometimes the protesters will fight back. Some of these protests can be very deadly, or others can be just calm and reserved. No one should have to lose their life during something as simple and uncomplicated as a protest, but it does happen, and it doesn't solve anything. But many people feel that even when something like this happens the person who lost their life died for something they believed in and were willing to fight for.












Do you feel that the protests are necessary? Do you feel that they help in anyway or impact any one's life? Why?

War in Iraq: Helping them with their economy.

As I said in my last post, many people argue the fact that we are fighting this war for nothing. All we are doing now is to help Iraq establish a government and new economy. But should we really do this? After 9-11 people feel that we should not help the people who caused us so much pain. Why should we help other people with their economy when our economy is hurting too? Many people support this decision saying that they need it more than we do, but is that entirely true? Yes, we are over there due to the fact that we were looking for the people who started the 9-11 attacks, but we should have been out of there after we found them and got the freedom that we were fighting for. Troops are expected to be pulled from Iraq by the end of 2012, but will that date stay the same or change?

Do we really need to still be in Iraq at this moment? Are we really fighting for nothing or is it something? How long will it last? When will it end? Why are we fighting? Everyday people are bombarded with questions like these. None of which we know the answers for. All we know is that we can hope for the best and watch the news to seen new updates.

Do you feel that we are fighting this war for nothing? Do you have any inputs or ideas that you would like included in future posts?

War in Iraq: The Cost.

Have you ever wondered how much the war in Iraq was costing? Many people think everyday about how much they are paying in taxes and everyday expenses to keep our troops at war. The website zfacts.com has a clock of how much money we are spending for the war in Iraq. If you go to the link http://zfacts.com/p/447.html you will see a graph of the year 2008 and how much we spent for the war. On the graph there is a clock that continuously counts up the money that we are spending today for the war. The last time I checked this website the amount was $653,658,695,787. To many people that is way too much money to be spending when all we are doing over there is to help them build their economy up right.

Many people argue that we are spending too much money for nothing. Maybe we are, and maybe we aren't. But not everyone is entirely sure. Yes, we are helping them with many things and it is costing tax payers billions of dollars, but if we were in the same situation wouldn't we want the financial support and the support of other people?

Do you feel we are spending too much money for nothing?

War In Iraq: Why?

A lot of people ask why we are at war with Iraq. Is it because of what happened on 9-11, or is it just because we need someone to fight? To me it is a little of both. We are fighting for our freedom and our rights, but on the other hand I think we are just fighting because that's what everyone else does. But the main reason we are fighting this war is because of one man, and we all know him, his name is Saddam Hussein. He has refused to comply with us many different times, and after having a part in 9-11 we set a goal to find this man and do what was right.

Not only is he why we are at war, another reason is for oil. We hear all the time on the news that we don't have oil because other countries won't trade with us, and that is one reason why we are in Iraq, is to try and get them to trade. Not only are the causes bad, but they are good in a way. We are also in Iraq to help improve the government. Though some believe the war is being fought only because we do not know what we are doing or just to get revenge or get our freedom, we all have our own opinions.

Why do you think we are fighting the war?

War In Iraq: The Positives and Negatives.

Not all wars are negative. Sometimes there are small or big positives to why the war is being fought. This applies to the war in Iraq. Not only does it have a negative side, but it also has a positive side. It is negative in the sense that we are losing many friends and family members, but positive in the sense that they are fighting for our freedom and security. One major positive thing about this war is that Saddam Hussein is no longer in power. But one of the negative things that anger many Americans is that the war are that it is costing American taxpayers trillions of dollars. There will never be a fair agreement on whether the war should be fought or not, but we all have our own opinions and can stick to them. Whether we support the war or are against it, what we believe can make a difference in any way. Can we really choose a side? I don't think we can, but that is my opinion. We all think there are good and bad things about the war, but our opinions may not be the same as everyone elses.

With these many positives and negatives we may all be confused a little with why the war is really being fought. Many may ask the question: Are we fighting the war for our freedom or are we fighting just to fight? Like I have said, everyone has thier own opinion. Don't let other peoples opinions ruin or change yours. Stick to what you believe.

Do you think that the war in Iraq is more positive or negative?

War in Iraq: How long will it last?

Do you ever wonder when the war will be over? I know that I wonder about it, as well as others. We have been at war for a long time, the exact date no one can remember. Since the twin towers fell on that tragic day we have kept our country guarded and sent troops to Iraq to do this for us. Families, friends, and neighbors of these soldiers sit and wonder everyday just how long the war will be. We have now gotten an answer from our new president, President Obama. He states that he plans on pulling the troops out of Iraq by the end of the year 2010. Will this be able to be accomplished? Will we be able to pull our troops without leaving pain and anger in Iraq? These things we will not know until the day it happens.

Yes, we all want the war to end, whether you support it or not. We wait for the day to come where our families and friends can come home and we can make up all the lost time with them. We worry every day that something bad might happen to our loved ones, and then we as ourselves: How long will it last? When can they come home? Whether you support the war or not please pray and hope that this ends safely and our troops can come home to be with us again.

Do you think we will have the troops home by the end of 2010?

Soldiers: A Day In Their Life.

Have you ever wondered what it was like to wear the uniforms the soldiers wear or how it was to stay out in the blazing heat all day? To some it may be something they like to do, for others it can be a struggle everyday. On April 18, 2006 Col. Sean Metroka wrote a letter explaining his life in Iraq. He is colonel in the Marine reserves from Nevada City. He wrote this letter during his second tour of duty in Iraq. He starts by saying that he lives in an 8x20 foot trailer. The trailer is known as a CO.RI.MEC. after the company that produces them. Though these trailers are small, he says that they are comfortable, though they are not as comfortable as home. Many people play it out to make soldiers look like they never take showers and never eat, but that is not true. Sean states that they take daily showers, eat well, and work out in the gym. There is also a pool for them to relax and get away from everything around them. The flights are hard when traveling on helicopter. Taking a direct flight cuts down on time, but in many cases they stop at other towns and small villages along the way, causing flights to be tiring. A simple flight that Col. Metroka was taking would have taken him 25 minutes on a direct flight, but instead they stopped at many places, so the flight took him 4 hours and 30 minutes.

While the weather is hot, the soldiers still stay stong and do what they are supposed to. Though the soldiers make friends with the men and women that serve with them, nothing compares to their family and friends back home. Though the soldiers have well conditions, it is when they are out fighting that they are truly scarred and worried. Everyday they hope that they will get to go home soon and see the ones that they love.

The trailer the soldiers live in.

A pool for the soldiers to relax at.


To read the full letter go to http://www.theunion.com/article/20060418/NEWS/60417015

Would you be able to live like the soldiers do?

Families: Burying Their Loved Ones.

What does it feel like when your loved one returns home but you can no longer be with them? All you have of them are pictures, their belongings, and the folded flag given to you during the service. What does it feel like to tell your children that they will never see their parent again? These things we may or may not know, but what we do know is that these are the hardest times for these families. These are the times to mourn and comfort those who need it. To bury any loved one is hard, but to bury a loved one who has been away for quite sometime that you hardly ever see is even harder.


Not only do the families mourn the loss of their loved one, the soldiers mourn the loss of a wonderful friend. Soldiers hold small memorial services for the lost friend, but nothing compared to what is held back at home. The momorial services are well planned out, with military service there to honor and salute their lost friend, as well as shoot of their guns in their remembrance. After this the flag is folded my the military men and handed to the husband or wife, mother or father, or in some cases, the children. Then the casket is lifted onto a horse and carriage to be taken to the memorial grounds for the soldiers. This memorial site not only represents what tragic things happened to these men and women, but it also represents the wonderful honor and heroism that they will always be known for.
There are many ways that these soldiers can be remembered. Many are remembered through pictures and stories from their families. Others are remembered through television and the internet. There is a website I recently found called In Remembrance. On the home page of this website it tells you that 4,898 service members are honored on there. It gives you profiles of soldiers, which the families update, telling a little about them such as their age, date of death, branch of military, unit, and much more. Please check out this website and honor the ones who have fallen. http://www.legacy.com/soldier/home.aspx


How would you feel if you had to bury your loved one and receive the flag?

Soldiers: Coming Home.

Everyday while our loved ones are over in Iraq fighting for our freedom we are here wishing and praying that they will come home soon. We wait for the day that we get the call saying "I am coming home." We await this day anxiously and plan a huge coming home party for the one returning. With family and friends we gather and wait in airports or in our homes, waiting for our loved one to walk through the door. Not once in someone's life can they feel so built up and excited about something other than this. Their heart is pounding, tears falling, a nervous look on their face, and yet, all at the same time you can see the joy and happiness that they feel.

To these soldiers and their families, returning home is everything to them. To be able to see their children, parents, loved ones, and friends is the best thing that they can have. Coming home means being able to relax, not worry about the hardships you will face during the day, and being able to have fun with life. Not only do their friends and families love them, so do the people they never knew, or possibly never will know. Many of the soldiers do not realize that when they come home the whole world thanks them and praises them for the wonderful things they have done. Though we do not know these people personally they are in our hearts forever.

This video shows the wonderful soldiers who come home to their families. Please watch, it is very touching to know that no matter what they are always there.


How would you react when the one you loved came home?

Soldiers: Ecstatic or Devastated?

To some, war means getting away and being able to see what it feels like at the front line. To others, war means leaving behind everything you have ever known and everyone you have ever loved. Everyday we hear of the soldiers who left and came home, but not often do we hear of the ones who are happy or sad to be gone. What does it really feel like to be out there in the blazing heat fighting for your life just to defend your country?


There was an interview that had been done in 2005 by Mary Spicuzza . She talked to Lisset Greene, a woman who had lost her husband when he came back from Iraq due to being devestated from the things he had seen in the war. She was asked about how her husband, Curtis Greene, was when he got back from Iraq, and she simply said he was not himself. Though she knows exactly what happened in his death, it is hard for her to understand why. She said he was frustrated with the war and that he would tell her that she just didn't understand when he tried to explain it to her. One night he went missing, he called home and told his wife that he would come back home, but would never go back to Iraq. "Over my dead body are they going to make me go back." Curtis stated. Days after this, Curtis was found dead, he had killed himself. He left behind his wife, and two beautiful children to wonder why this had ever happened. This shows the effect that war can have on the soldiers and their families. Though we mourn these soldiers we know that they are in a better place and they will always be in our hearts.


Other soldiers have said that they love defending their country, but would also love to be at home. When they do return home it is the happiest day for them, their family, and their friends. Many of these soldiers reply to media saying it was a good experience, but they would rather stay in their own country, and in their own home. If these soldiers are happy with fighting for their country that is a wonderful thing. But if they are devastated what things can we do to help? Though we do not know the true stories behind the sadness of the soldiers, we can help to relieve them of their problems by bringing them home.


Do you feel that what happens in the war is to blame for the deaths or depression among soldiers?


To read the full interview with Lisset Greene go to:
http://www.sptimes.com/2005/02/13/Hernando/_Over_my_dead_body_.shtml

War In Iraq: Helping Us or Hurting Us?

Not only is the war in Iraq a fight for our freedom, but a fight to show our courage and bravery. Men and women from all over the country are deployed everyday to enter the harsh environment of the Iraq war to fight for their friends, family, and their freedom. Not only are these men and women worried about leaving, they are also worried about if they will come back or not. Will I make it to tomorrow? Not only do they worry about this, but so do their families at home.



Recently it has been said that the death toll for 2008 was lower than the death toll of any other year. The death toll for the year 2008 was between 8,315 and 9,028. This was compared to the year 2007 where the death toll was between 22,671 and 24,295. Every year the death toll is traumatizing to all families, even if the number is below 10,000. We have more soldiers coming home who lost their lives than those who are still living. As of 2008 there were 132,000 troops in Iraq before President Bush deployed more soldiers. If you do not know anyone in the war, imagine being that person who has to say goodbye, watch their family member, or loved one walk away and worry if they will ever come back. Imagine having a small child and having them never be able to meet or play with their mom or dad.


Everyday we pray for these soldiers in the hopes that they will be okay and live another day to come back home. Is this war the best thing for us? We need our freedom, but we also need our friends and families. Is the number of soldiers dying worth fighting this non-stop war? Does it really help us or hurt us? These are questions only we can answer personally, but there will never be a right answer. Everyone needs to keep believing in what they think is right, please continue to pray for those who are in Iraq and those who have lost their lives.


How would you feel being a family member and having to lose a loved one in the war?