usmc4669
04-09-04, 11:41 AM
ABCNEWS.com
April 9, 2004,
For many Americans, the images from Iraq playing on television screens around the nation are more than unsettling. They are a cause for worry, and questioning: How long will these attacks go on? And what do they signify? Angel Roberts-Burton, whose 18-year-old brother Tony Roberts was one of at least a dozen Marines killed during this week's violence in Iraq, is among those struggling for answers. Although she says her brother was proud of his service and proud of the Marines' mission, Roberts-Burton, of Randallstown, Md., says her grief has made her start to doubt the U.S. mission in Iraq. She softly posed the questions her family is asking. "What is this accomplishing? Is this turning into another Vietnam? If we're over there actually fighting for freedom, then I can understand. Then I'd know my brother's death didn't go in vain."
Searching for Reasons, These are questions that have been surfacing in conversations across the nation this week. Atavia Fuller, who stopped to talk about her concerns as she walked to work on Chicago's State Street, said she has been upset by more than a week of bad news from Iraq, which started with the death and brutal mutilation of four private contractors, and went on to include deadly fighting to bring those responsible to justice, and a Shiite revolt in several southern cities. "I watch the news," Fuller said. "Every day, somebody's getting killed over there. For no reason, to me." Neely Ciarcia, a young mother in Atlanta, says she knows soldiers fighting in Iraq, and believes President Bush was right to send troops in to liberate Iraq last year. But now, she says, "I just think it's time to go." The escalation of attacks against U.S. troops caught her off guard. "I just feel it's getting dangerous for anyone to be over there that is part of our troops."
Divided Opinions ,But this is an issue on which Americans do seem to be divided, even conflicted. Some who initially opposed U.S. involvement in Iraq worry that retreating now would only make things much worse. Ken Storr, a restaurateur in Vinings, Ga., said he gave a great deal of thought to the U.S. occupation of Iraq and felt that the invasion last year was unwarranted. But now he seems torn. "We've started this thing, and how do you leave it in shambles and walk out of there?" he said. "It's a very hard scenario." There are many across the nation who believe the escalation in violence is a sign that terrorists are convinced they can break U.S. resolve in Iraq. Mark Davis, on his talk show on the Fort Worth-Dallas radio station WBAP, maintained, "They are looking for signs that we may be fraying at the edges, that we may not have the resolve to see this through." Comparisons to Vietnam, Davis maintains, are unwarranted. Iraq is not a nation divided, he says. "The majority of Iraqis," he said on his program, "are glad we're there." And Suzanne Ellington of Atlanta says she is glad, as well, to see that U.S. troops are aggressively going after trouble spots in Iraq. "I believe that terrorism has been festering for decades, and we have simply taken the scab off and we see what's there. We must destroy it or they will destroy us."
A Crucible Defined, What has become evident to all, though, is that bringing democracy to Iraq will require much more of Americans. John Guerrero, shopping in Atlanta, stopped to point out what he learned from his experience as a Vietnam veteran. "The theater of war doesn't create love," he said. "It creates hate. And you can see by what's going on today there's a lot of hate going on, against the American people." The difficulty, Guerrero said, will be to prove to the Iraqis who want democracy that America's primary objective is to help them build one. And he is concerned about how willing and patient Americans will be to pay the price to see that through. "We're not going to do it overnight. We're not going to do it by June. We're not going to do it by next year. It's going to take a decade for them to change."
Sound Off...What do you think? Join the discussion.
April 9, 2004,
For many Americans, the images from Iraq playing on television screens around the nation are more than unsettling. They are a cause for worry, and questioning: How long will these attacks go on? And what do they signify? Angel Roberts-Burton, whose 18-year-old brother Tony Roberts was one of at least a dozen Marines killed during this week's violence in Iraq, is among those struggling for answers. Although she says her brother was proud of his service and proud of the Marines' mission, Roberts-Burton, of Randallstown, Md., says her grief has made her start to doubt the U.S. mission in Iraq. She softly posed the questions her family is asking. "What is this accomplishing? Is this turning into another Vietnam? If we're over there actually fighting for freedom, then I can understand. Then I'd know my brother's death didn't go in vain."
Searching for Reasons, These are questions that have been surfacing in conversations across the nation this week. Atavia Fuller, who stopped to talk about her concerns as she walked to work on Chicago's State Street, said she has been upset by more than a week of bad news from Iraq, which started with the death and brutal mutilation of four private contractors, and went on to include deadly fighting to bring those responsible to justice, and a Shiite revolt in several southern cities. "I watch the news," Fuller said. "Every day, somebody's getting killed over there. For no reason, to me." Neely Ciarcia, a young mother in Atlanta, says she knows soldiers fighting in Iraq, and believes President Bush was right to send troops in to liberate Iraq last year. But now, she says, "I just think it's time to go." The escalation of attacks against U.S. troops caught her off guard. "I just feel it's getting dangerous for anyone to be over there that is part of our troops."
Divided Opinions ,But this is an issue on which Americans do seem to be divided, even conflicted. Some who initially opposed U.S. involvement in Iraq worry that retreating now would only make things much worse. Ken Storr, a restaurateur in Vinings, Ga., said he gave a great deal of thought to the U.S. occupation of Iraq and felt that the invasion last year was unwarranted. But now he seems torn. "We've started this thing, and how do you leave it in shambles and walk out of there?" he said. "It's a very hard scenario." There are many across the nation who believe the escalation in violence is a sign that terrorists are convinced they can break U.S. resolve in Iraq. Mark Davis, on his talk show on the Fort Worth-Dallas radio station WBAP, maintained, "They are looking for signs that we may be fraying at the edges, that we may not have the resolve to see this through." Comparisons to Vietnam, Davis maintains, are unwarranted. Iraq is not a nation divided, he says. "The majority of Iraqis," he said on his program, "are glad we're there." And Suzanne Ellington of Atlanta says she is glad, as well, to see that U.S. troops are aggressively going after trouble spots in Iraq. "I believe that terrorism has been festering for decades, and we have simply taken the scab off and we see what's there. We must destroy it or they will destroy us."
A Crucible Defined, What has become evident to all, though, is that bringing democracy to Iraq will require much more of Americans. John Guerrero, shopping in Atlanta, stopped to point out what he learned from his experience as a Vietnam veteran. "The theater of war doesn't create love," he said. "It creates hate. And you can see by what's going on today there's a lot of hate going on, against the American people." The difficulty, Guerrero said, will be to prove to the Iraqis who want democracy that America's primary objective is to help them build one. And he is concerned about how willing and patient Americans will be to pay the price to see that through. "We're not going to do it overnight. We're not going to do it by June. We're not going to do it by next year. It's going to take a decade for them to change."
Sound Off...What do you think? Join the discussion.