Why is it so difficult for people to fathom that a person can simultaneously support our troops and be against the war in Iraq? I have nothing against our soldiers; indeed, I am grateful that there are men and women ready to die to protect me and my country.

However, this reason this war is being waged is still unclear. I do not believe that destroying Mr. Hussein’s regime will do much to protect America or her people. Nor do I believe that our current leadership’s motives are altruistic; the fact that the Iraqi citizens will be liberated happens to be a nice side effect. This war is being waged order to advance a neoconservative agenda to which I do not subscribe. I do not believe that Bush et. al. have sent our troops to Iraq in order to protect our country, but to further spread our country’s dominance in the world.

I do hope that those of us who protest the war will acknowledge that our soldiers are not the ones who should be the target of anger. I believe that many of them sincerely believe that they are fighting for all the right reasons, that they believe in America and her ideals. They are not the ones that got us into this mess; they are merely executing the orders they are given.

Whatever the outcome of this war, we should all remember that the blame lies squarely on the shoulders of the Commander in Chief and his advisors.

That is all.