HOW MANY RATIONALES FOR WAR IS THERE?

I really wish Bush would stick to the main reason for war: That being Saddam was a genuine threat to the world and he wouldn't disarm his WMD stockpile.

I know this sounds silly--because of all the controversy and debate on what exact reason we went in and so on--but come on...!

We solved the mystery that Saddam wasn't a threat to the world, nor did he have any of those scary WMD stockpiles.

But Al-Qaeda of Iraq being the latest rationale to continue waging a senseless war in Iraq?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but where was Al-Qaeda before we invaded Iraq in 2003?

Not in Iraq.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

CAN WE EXECUTE OTHER OFFENDERS AS WELL?

Talk about hitting a chord!

A recent letter writer's solution ("Only real solution is to execute them") to the problem of sex offenders and those whom killed the 12-year-old girl is simple: Execution without remorse.

Wow!

Why didn't I think about that?

Sure...why not? Let's execute every single sex offender there is in the state of Washington. And once we get done going through the registry here, let's expand on a national level!

Start blowing away Level 1s, Level 2s, and the dangerous Level 3s--in their homes, on the streets, in their cars...?

Heck, why stop there with just sex offenders?

Why don't we start executing the mentally ill like Cho Sueng Hui while we're at it too! Blow them away before they do any harm to people! And the drug runners who push drugs on our kids? Let's execute them for doing what they do! They are just as bad the sex offenders!

Why not put a few bullets in the problem and make them go away while we're at it?

In fact, why don't we just bring back the old firing squads from the last century or so, and just line up everyone who has offended us--past or present--and just knock 'em dead!

I'm sure that would make us appear more forgiving and humane.

What do you all think?

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

WRITER'S TAKE ON WAR IS WAY OFF BASE

Wow. I don't know where to begin with one writer's recent letter. ("Our soldiers are not fighting over oil.")

In a minute or less, I figured it out: This writer claims are grossly exaggerated.

1) Our invasion of Iraq was not to remove a blood-thirsty tyrant from power. It was to disarm
that same "blood-thirsty tyrant" of all his non-existent WMDs.

(Just as a historical footnote? We supported Saddam in the 80s. Gave him the very same weapons in his fight against Iran--which allowed him kill thousands of his own people later on. Who's the hypocrite now?)

2) The war on terror is global? So why are we still stuck in Iraq? Shouldn't we have already invaded the Philippines or some other South Asian country that has militant groups like Al-Qaeda?

Oh, that's right: None of these countries are sitting on a massive OIL RESERVE.

My bad!

So to say that our troops aren't fighting over oil is a bit of misnomer. They are fighting to protect oil contractors like Halliburton and KBR.

3) How will the terrorists follow our troops home? Of all the excuses given by Bush and his supporters about what would happen if we were to leave, this question remains unanswered.

4) Our troops aren't fighting to protect the lives of innocent Iraqis, Afghani, or anyone else.

Last I checked, they are struggling to control a country the size of California, and failing miserably at it after 5 long years.

5) Terrorists don't fundamentally hate us for our freedoms. They hate us because we keep sticking our noses where they don't belong.

I think this about covers it.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

PEACEFUL IRAQ? NOT IN THIS REALITY

Taking a page from LBJ, Bush has declared that: "The war is not lost"--flying in the face of a interim report which clearly shows a lack of progress in Iraq.

Whatever miniscule gains Bush believes we have made--clearly overshadows the fact that after 5 years of endless war, Iraq has not improved its chances to become a truly stable democracy--nor has it helped the US's image abroad any.

But Bush doesn't seem to have gotten that memo. He still believes that we will "win"--but only if we sacrifice every last soldier and drain the last of our money from both the US taxpayer, and the US Treasury--in doing so.

However, our President isn't the only one who is suffering from a severe disconnect with reality.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Malaki said: "we could leave anytime we want"--claiming that they could manage Iraq all by themselves--despite the fact that Iraq is no condition to police itself by any measurable means.

All right! We can leave! Finally!

Uh...wait just a minute here.

Which Iraq is both Bush and Malaki thinking of? Because it's clearly not the one that is currently underway in the Middle East.

Nah. They must be thinking of the one which is in an alternate reality. The one where everyone is at peace and the Iraqis are throwing candy and flowers at us. (Not to mention, greeting us as "liberators",)

If that's the case, I'm in the wrong universe here!

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

TERRORISM TRIUMPS AGAINST ALL ODDS

It must be crushing to Bush for him to finally realize the futility of fighting a miliaristic war based solely on defeating an ancient ideology.

In 2001, we allegedly killed three-quarters of Al-Qaeda's followers, drove them from Afghanistan, but let the bulk of its leadership escape.

Big mistake.

A report due to be released by top US intel analysts showed that Al-Qaeda has not only rebuilt itself into a de-segregated entity, but it also has come back stronger than ever.

One can only imagine how this was ever possible.

Was it Bush's blundering at Tora Bora which allowed bin Laden to escape?

Or was it the failed war in Iraq which acted as a blessing in disguise for the Al-Qaeda organization--thus breathing new life into it?

Whatever the cause, Bush must be sorely disappointed that his failure to capture bin Laden and obliterate Al-Qaeda from the face of the Earth forever stands as a living reminder that force alone cannot defeat terrorism.

After all, Al-Qaeda's resurgence is proof of that.

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX

IF IT WASN'T FOR TAXES, OUR STATE WOULDN'T EXIST

In response to one letter writer's disdain for Democrats and liberals being 'tax and spend' ("Letter writer is missing the point"), what's his answer for the Republicans and neoconservatives pattern of "spend, spend, spend"--until we are all up to our eyeballs in debt? Who's going to pay that off? How are we going to pay it off? By lowering our overall tax revenue?

Not likely.

That's like having to pay off that $3000 limit accrued on your credit card, but only making the minimum payment each month.

Anyway, it not the property taxes which are driving homeowners out of the state--as the writer claims--but the fact that so many of them homeowners now have mansions upon mansions, home after expensive home sitting on that lush piece of property in the first place.

Blaming Democrats and liberals for collecting on these 'time share taxes' of expensive home ownership is perfectly legal. All that tax money collected on other luxury items that we take for granted isn't going to waste--but instead--going to help improve our community and state's varied infrastructures.

What is so wrong about wanting to keep things progressing in the first place? Without these taxes to hold the glue of our state together--none of what we see on the road these days or elsewhere--wouldn't even exist.

So why complain at all about paying our share?

Schuyler Thorpe

xxxth Street xx #X001

Everett, WA 98204

(XXX)-XXX-XXXX