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Tonight the Demorcatic candidates are busy spouting numbers about the Iraq war to illustrate why we need to quit the war. Time was when citizens of the United States of America would simply not admit defeat–even when the there were setbacks and failures. I have been studying World War II lately and I am amazed at the difference all around between the last world war and the current war on terror.
3,895 American soldiers have been killed in 4 years of Iraq. In 4 years of war against Germany and Japan the Unites States lost 407,300 soldiers. This is more than 100 times the number that have been killed and wounded in Iraq.
Some soldiers have served 3 and 4 tours of duty in Iraq. These men are serving as long as 18 months at a time. Many of the veterans in World War II were drafted for “the duration.” These men left their homes and families for an unspecified amount of time. They were gone, sometimes for years, before they were able to come home.
Civilians were drafted into the service for World War II. No one has been drafted for the Iraq conflict. All soldiers in the military now have volunteered for service. Most of them are proud to serve and want nothing more than to secure the saftey of our country.
The people at home in the U.S. in the 1940s had to ration commodities and industry was converted to war time production. Many people sacrificed comfort and time to ensure the success of the war. Today we are asked to sacrifice nothing as a people. People may moan about the price of gas but there is disagreement about whether this has anything to do with the Iraq war.
After four grueling years the United States was victorious, with its allies, on both fronts. There was never any talk that we might lose. The people only knew that we must win or pay the consequences.
Today, we must win in Iraq or pay the consequences. Each soldier who has given his life or been wounded in Iraq is important and I do not want to minimize what they have done. But it will be worse for soldiers and civillians if we decide to quit before we are done.
Last week citizens in Utah voted down a measure to offer vouchers to families who wish to send their children to private schools. This is the latest in the battle that has raged across the nation pitting school choice advocates against powerful teacher’s unions.
Vouchers are generally seen as the best way to let parents opt out of the Public School System and seek alternative education options. Supporters contend that allowing parents to send children to the school of their choice, will introduce the market forces of competiton into the school system and improve public and private schools. Opponents cite cost and contend that the state will end up paying the tuition for the children of wealthy families.
What few people have discussed is how the private schools feel about the plan. If private schools, many of which are religious in nature, begin accepting government vouchers, how long before they are subject to the same restrictions that have been placed on public schools? The Utah bill already stated that private schools receiving vouchers would have to be accountable to the state for academic standards.
Government subsidies always come with strings. Private colleges that have accepted federal funds have been required to conform to certain government requirements. The Boy Scouts of America have been taken to court several times on the basis of taking money while maintaining exclusions in their recruitment standards. Private schools may or may not be willing to alter their standards in order to be eligible to receive government vouchers.
It then raises the question, if private schools must meet government “standards” in order to receive vouchers, will there be any difference between private and public schools? What choices will be left to parents when these are all the same?
I’ve never been one to believe all these Global Warming/Ozone Depletion theories, and it’s so refreshing to hear from these guys. Watch this YouTube Video from 20/20’s John Stossel’s “Give Me A Break”