The Rocket

Issue date: 2/24/06 Section: Opinion

Jess Rupell - Staff Writer

With the United States' population increasing by roughly 100 million from 1960 until 2000, and with the United States Crime Index Rates per 100,000 inhabitants soaring from 1,887.2 in 1960 to 5,897.8 in 1991, it isn't hard to see that the United States certainly isn't reducing their crime. In fact, according to www.disastercenter.com, "by 1991 the crime rate was 313 percent higher than the 1960 crime rate." Obviously our prisons are getting fuller. So what are we to do with all these "imprudent hooligans?"

I think we can all agree that the only logical thing to do would be to send them to Iraq. I mean, at least they would be involved with something positive for quite possibly the most "useful" and "valuable" war the United States has ever engaged in. Clearly, President George W. Bush finds the issues surrounding the war important, and, after being at war with Iraq for nearly three years, there is still much work to be done. So far, the only things that the United States has done in Iraq have been making Baghdad fall, removing Saddam Hussein from office and then capturing him.

So, yes, it may be true that Iraq posed no real threat on the United States and had nothing to do with the terrorist attacks of 9/11. But really, if the President of the United States wants to launch an attack on Iraq and have it be a "war of choice," then more power to him. I mean, really, who are we to question the "keen intelligence" of the President? If he simply wanted to follow in his father's footsteps and have a longer and more extravagant war than Bush Sr. had in "Operation Desert Storm," which ended in a meager 100 hours, then go for it. As President of the most influential nation in the world, who wouldn't milk it for all it's worth?

Outside analysts of the current war whine that public safety for women and children is almost non-existent and unemployment is at more than 50 percent. But the other fifty percent seems to be doing okay, and as Bush noted when he won the election with 51 percent, this constitutes a "popular mandate." In all reality though, are we, the United States, supposed to solve every problem for Iraq? Why can't they take some initiative themselves and try to better their own living situations?

The Iraqi people should be happy that we cared enough about the welfare of their country to try to help them get back on the right track. Although there has been much progress, as the group that undertook this troubled nation, we need to make sure that we are 100 percent confident in their ability to continue on the right path.

Continued...

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