INTERNATIONAL, COMMENTARY: A Wailing Land Calls For Cease-Fire
by Song Rui
With the number of U.S. troops killed in the Iraqi war now well over 2000, anti-war protests have swept through America. I believe there are a number of reasons for this intensified round of protests in America.
First of all, the Americans have obviously come to realize that they have paid too much for this war. American soldiers in Iraq continue to die every day, and terrorist bombings and kidnappings have never ended. Besides those killed, thousands of soldiers are suffering from heartaches. Among the protesters is Cindy Sheehan, the arrested "anti-war mom", who lost her son last year in Iraq. And many people in America share her sorrow. Having lost so many, they cannot bear loosing more sons, brothers and husbands.
Second, the American soldiers are unwilling to continue the war. From the death notes of the American soldiers, we can feel their love for life and abomination for war. In those notes addressed to their loved ones, they talked about the new computers they would never buy, the courses they would never take, the Christmas presents they would never open and the lovely kids they would never kiss. Every word of theirs urges their families to earnestly request President Bush to call off the battles early, so as to avoid more tragedies.
Besides the sorrow for the huge loss, there are still other reasons for anti-war protests in America. High technology and large defense budgets were meant to reduce casualties. But the low--or even zero--casualties the American people had expected proved to be unrealistic, bringing more pain to their sensitive emotions. Moreover, there's hot debate on the justifiability and the necessity of the Iraqi war. The public began to doubt the reasons for going to war.
Last but not least, hurricane Katrina awakened the Americans to the fact that their most urgent affair is to improve the security situation within the nation rather than sending countless troops to other countries to promote "democracy". When people in the richest country in the world are crying for food and water, who could continue believing in President Bush's agenda as announced on March 19 2003, that America would start "military operations to disarm Iraq, to free its people and to defend the world from grave danger"?
Therefore, the anti-war protest in America is stronger than ever. The war has to be stopped; otherwise, the dual power of it will wound both sides.
But war continues on this land, the land that gave us the wheel, writing and mathematics, where the people first divided time into units of 60 and where they first divined the God of the Old Testament. This land is wailing, not only for its people, but also for the American soldiers who have died there.
With the number of U.S. troops killed in the Iraqi war now well over 2000, anti-war protests have swept through America. I believe there are a number of reasons for this intensified round of protests in America.
First of all, the Americans have obviously come to realize that they have paid too much for this war. American soldiers in Iraq continue to die every day, and terrorist bombings and kidnappings have never ended. Besides those killed, thousands of soldiers are suffering from heartaches. Among the protesters is Cindy Sheehan, the arrested "anti-war mom", who lost her son last year in Iraq. And many people in America share her sorrow. Having lost so many, they cannot bear loosing more sons, brothers and husbands.
Second, the American soldiers are unwilling to continue the war. From the death notes of the American soldiers, we can feel their love for life and abomination for war. In those notes addressed to their loved ones, they talked about the new computers they would never buy, the courses they would never take, the Christmas presents they would never open and the lovely kids they would never kiss. Every word of theirs urges their families to earnestly request President Bush to call off the battles early, so as to avoid more tragedies.
Besides the sorrow for the huge loss, there are still other reasons for anti-war protests in America. High technology and large defense budgets were meant to reduce casualties. But the low--or even zero--casualties the American people had expected proved to be unrealistic, bringing more pain to their sensitive emotions. Moreover, there's hot debate on the justifiability and the necessity of the Iraqi war. The public began to doubt the reasons for going to war.
Last but not least, hurricane Katrina awakened the Americans to the fact that their most urgent affair is to improve the security situation within the nation rather than sending countless troops to other countries to promote "democracy". When people in the richest country in the world are crying for food and water, who could continue believing in President Bush's agenda as announced on March 19 2003, that America would start "military operations to disarm Iraq, to free its people and to defend the world from grave danger"?
Therefore, the anti-war protest in America is stronger than ever. The war has to be stopped; otherwise, the dual power of it will wound both sides.
But war continues on this land, the land that gave us the wheel, writing and mathematics, where the people first divided time into units of 60 and where they first divined the God of the Old Testament. This land is wailing, not only for its people, but also for the American soldiers who have died there.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home