Hillman Calls for Patriotism, Support of War in Iraq

Author: Campus Editor in Chief

Anyone who read the Jan. 29 edition of The Middlebury Campus may have noticed a trend. Of the articles in the issue, three of them dealt with peace rallies which were attended by Middlebury students, and two opinion pieces criticized a war on Iraq. However, there were no pieces highlighting the many reasons why we should support a war with Iraq.
I would like to bring to the attention of the student body one important point -- those who protest the war in Iraq may be the most vocal, but that does not make them the majority, nor does that make them right.
There are many of us, like most of the American population, who are fully aware of the threat that Iraq poses. We know that the Iraqi government is in possession of dangerous chemical and biological weapons, and we have seen Hussein's willingness to use these weapons against innocent people.
So many American citizens are ready and willing to go to war to defeat this massive threat, and so many of our soldiers have already said goodbye to their homes and families on a mission to protect our nation. These brave soldiers understand, our government understands, and the majority of Americans understand how immensely vulnerable our nation will be if we do not take military action against Iraq. Those who are so vocal on this campus, though, do not seem to understand this vulnerability.
There comes a time when a nation must take moves that, although they may result in the deaths of some innocent people, will prove to be necessary and just in the grand scheme of things. In order to protect millions of innocent Americans from the threat of a biological or chemical attack, we must altogether eliminate this threat.
For those of you who are quick to run to Washington, D.C., to wave anti-war signs and banners -- please answer my following question. Would you rather watch your friends, your family and yourself, die from the results of a grand-scale biological attack, simply because you didn't want to risk killing an innocent Iraqi?
This current threat leaves us no option: people are going to die before we can regain peace and stability. I am ashamed that you, my fellow Americans, would rather leave our brave and patriotic brothers and sisters -- our families and our friends -- unarmed and vulnerable in the face of danger, simply to save the lives of people who are merely pawns in the hands of a cruel and menacing dictator.
Put America first. Let the greatest nation in this world -- the one that has granted you the freedom to express your opinions, to be educated and treated as equals, the nation that has allowed you to live a free and great life -- defend itself in the face of evil. Allow our soldiers to protect you and your families from harm. Realize the value of your own life, and be willing to protect it.
Hussein has lied before, and he will lie again -- it is because of his own actions that America must now attack.
The only way we can ensure the safety and well-being of American citizens is to eliminate the threat posed by Iraq, and this will inevitably take military action.


Amber Hillman is a sophomore political science major from Sturbridge, Massachusetts.