We are caught in a nightmare of insanity, and 53% of the American people support it!

If George Bush has such compelling evidence that the Iraqis are developing weapons of mass destruction, let him order surgical air strikes to disable Saddam’s diabolical machinations, as did the past administration.

But, at the same time, let him ship food and medical supplies to the innocent population who have suffered for a decade as a result of sanctions. Such measures will go much further to weaken Saddam’s regime and strengthen the position of the United States in our self-proclaimed title of "the good guys" than will sending our children to die along with the involuntary pawns on the Iraqi side.

What issues are so embarrassing to the President that he would start an all-out war of diversion that even the ex-chief weapons inspector says is needless and unwarranted. Our president seems to feel that the lives of a bunch of Arabs and young Americans don’t matter. He claimed once upon a time that Jesus was his favorite philosopher. He needs to search his soul in light of this claim, and he will see – if his statement was not totally disingenuous – that his intentions are misguided and anathema to everything that a faith in Jesus demands.

If we truly want to fight for what is right, let us all fight tooth and nail, as I will, to keep our sons from being forced to act as dark soldiers for an unjust and unnecessary war.

Elliot M. Namay, Jr.

As published in the Charleston Gazette, August, 2002