[Editor's note: These were written
before Bush invaded Iraq. They are still interesting to reflect
upon.]
It is always best to write your own feelings in your own words, but here are some ideas to get you started:
1. Saddam is a brutal dictator, and no one pretends otherwise. But
Saddam isn't the one who will suffer in the event of war. The Iraqi
people have virtually no control over these events, yet they are the
ones who will suffer the most. Many thousands are likely to be killed,
maimed or left homeless.
2. Bush speaks of "fighting terrorism". But a war on Iraq would
immediately rain terror on hundreds of thousands of Iraqi citizens.
"Terror to fight terror" is wrong.
3. A US invasion of Iraq would breed MORE worldwide terrorism, not
less. Bush's arrogant disregard for rest of the world community is
precisely what causes the deep-rooted hatred toward America that breeds
terrorism like we experienced on 9/11/01.
4. Invading a nation that has not attacked us, nor shown clear and
immediate plans to attack us, is horribly wrong.
5. A preemptive invasion of Iraq would set an extremely dangerous
precedent for other nations of the world. Other nations may be all too
willing to follow our example and invade their own favorite "enemy
states" that they think MIGHT threaten them in the future.
6. UN weapons inspections clearly WERE working. They were preventing
Saddam from amassing weapons that could threaten the world. Every day
the inspections continued was another small victory for peace and world
security.
7. Millions of people around the world are speaking out against this
illegal and unjust war.