WP, Sally Quinn: The Least Immoral Choice: Squander No More U.S. Lives in Iraq

[DeepModem Mom]

The Least Immoral Choice
Squander No More U.S. Lives in Iraq
By Sally Quinn
Tuesday, January 9, 2007

I am an Army brat. I have seen the effects of war firsthand. My father fought in World War II and in the Korean War. I lived on Army posts and saw or heard about the human devastation of war each day....Every day I read in the newspaper Stars and Stripes about soldiers being killed. I fell ill because of the emotional stress of having (my father) at war, and at age 10 I ended up in Tokyo General Hospital....(A)fter nearly nine months, I was transferred to Brooke General Hospital in San Antonio. My mother, younger brother, younger sister and I were placed on an Army hospital plane with the most seriously wounded soldiers, who were to fly back with us. There were no seats on the plane, only three rows of litters, five high, all filled with badly wounded and dying soldiers, most of them still kids themselves....

***

I hope that when President Bush discusses sending more troops to Iraq, knowing that we will have to pull out sooner rather than later, that the conversation comes around to the human suffering. Does anyone at the table ask about the personal anguish, the long-term effects, emotional, psychological and financial, on the families of those killed, wounded or permanently disabled?

When I hear about the surge, all I can think of is those young soldiers on the plane to Texas. We have already lost more than 3,000 soldiers, and many more have been wounded and disabled.

We have three choices here. All three are immoral. We can keep the status quo and gradually pull out; we can surge; or we can pull out now. When I think about those young soldiers on that plane coming back from Japan years ago, I believe pulling out now is the least immoral choice.

(The writer is a co-moderator of On Faith, an online conversation on religion athttp://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith.)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/08/AR2007010801417.html

[Skittles]

1. BUSH DOES NOT CARE ABOUT HUMAN SUFFERING

THE MAN IS A SOCIOPATH

[rodeodance]

2. i do not believe he does either

[ShortnFiery]

4. True. Anti-Social Personalities do not have the capacity for expressing genuine compassion.

He's self-absorbed, greedy and vapid = One big package of Swagger minus Common Sense.

[Skittles]

6. it's f***ing obvious

watch the bastard at any affair where solemnity is required - he has to fake it, and he fakes it BADLY

[ShortnFiery]

7. Agreed. However, what truly freaks me out is

that CERTAIN members of the media will blatantly lie (Mathews, Blitzer, Hannity) after each speech by attaching some sort of COMPASSION to Dear Leader's words. :eyes:

I can't help but think to myself, "You must think we are total IDIOTS."

Yes, I do believe that the M$M and some members of Congress think that the peasantry will be pacified with "business as usual." They are sadly mistaken. :grr:

Watch the primary news moderators' reactions to Bush's speech tomorrow and you'll see EXACTLY what I mean.

Arrrrgh! ;)

[Skittles]

8. well, they treat him like he is a real president

adding emotions to him not that much of a stretch for them

[JohnnyLib2]

3. Eloquent article.

Is this by the wife of Ben Bradlee of the WP ?

[DeepModem Mom]

10. Yes, it is. nt

[Laughing Mirror]

5. Where were you Sally when your paper was incessantly banging the war drums?

Why were you silent then?

[LostinVA]

9. I loathe Sally Quinn

So, it hurts me to say I agree with her op-ed. But I do.

[DeepModem Mom]

11. Same here. I was surprised by this. nt

[JohnnyLib2]

12. And same here, but let's take

any flip-floppers we can!

[Cleita]

13. Why did the auther stop at U. S. lives? It seems sparing all

human life, like those of the Iraqi civilians, would be the least immoral choice.