Soldiers' efforts worthy of our steadfast support

There has been a great deal of flak dominating headlines and filling airwaves in recent weeks on the Iraq war; more specifically, President Bush's role in the decision to send U.S. troops to Iraq.

Critics of the president are quick to point the proverbial finger and blame him for blindly leading us into a war we should have never had a part in. Charges of withholding critical information and presenting inaccurate information on weapons of mass destruction are being fired across the political lines more frequently than the arsenal in Iraq.

Democrats are launching a daily barrage of insults and allegations of deceit on the part of the president, all the while minimizing the role they played in authorizing the president to send our troops to Iraq. Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and John F. Kerry were very vocal critics of Saddam Hussein and the &#8220evil” of his regime. In fact, in a speech to the Senate on October 9, 2002, Kerry said, &#8220I will be voting to give the President of the United States the authority to use force - if necessary - to disarm Saddam Hussein because I believe that a deadly arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in his hands is a real and grave threat to our security.”

The war in Iraq has, unfortunately, become a party-line divisive issue, and more unfortunate is that the biggest losers in this political showmanship stand to be our military troops. Politicians nationwide are using the troops as political pawns in senseless attempts to prove their party's superiority. The governor's race in New Jersey, where reckless innuendo was generously dished out, has been described as the most negative political campaign ever.

We wholeheartedly support the right of every American to voice their support or dissent of this war. Freedom of speech is one of the precious rights this country was founded on, and one we should continue to protect. We also support the right of every American to change their mind if a decision they've previously made is no longer in line with their philosophy or goals. It is unfair, however, to publicly decry another's choice to hold firm to their original decision simply because you've changed your mind.

The one thing we can agree on, regardless of political affiliation, is we want to see our troops return home, safely and as soon as is feasible. When their return is feasible will likely remain a contentious topic of debate for some time to come.

The bottom line is the men and women who are bravely, and proudly, serving our country were sent to Iraq to do a job by the commander in chief, with full Senate support. We owe it to those who are actively fulfilling that mission, putting their lives on the line everyday to defend the freedoms we enjoy, to fully support those efforts until their mission is complete.

One only has to talk with a veteran who served in the Vietnam War to understand how important it is to a soldier to know they have the country's support.