The Iraq War

Without a doubt, the most talked about issue for the past four years or so has been the Iraqi war. It seems, as though everyone and his or her cat have commented about the subject, whether it has been to support it or totally contradict it. At first, I found it difficult to decide if this war was worth fighting for or if our troops should just come back home. However, there have been several factors that lead me to believe that the war in Iraq should be brought to an end.

First of all, the war began on March 20, 2003 when the United States invaded Iraq claiming that it contained weapons of mass destruction that could substantially pose a threat to the nation. However, after several years of investigation these weapons of mass destruction are yet to be found. That apparently had no effect on our dicision because we continue to send countless amounts of soldiers over there, placing their lives in danger. The next issue I have about the war is its costs. I find it sarcastic that the money being used to fund this war is coming straight out of the pockets of tax payers when the majority opposes it to begin with. Billions of dollars have been spent on the war, which could have been invested on issues closer to home like education or health care for example. We are supposed to be living in a democratic country but yet are involved in a war that is opposed by a massive amount of the population.

I understand that it is irrational to suggest for the United States to step down from the war in a blink of an eye but I do believe that it has turned into a huge mess that should be stopped before it gets worse.

DREAM Act

In his article, “Protect the American Dream,” Ruben Navarette brings up one of the most controversial issues of the time, illegal immigrants. He expresses his support for the DREAM act “that would give illegal immigrant the chance to become legal but require that those who receive such a privileged give back quite a bit in return.”


The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act, better known as the DREAM act, is a bill formulated to allow immigrant students and military hopefuls an opportunity of gaining citizenship. To qualify the individual must prove that he/she has lived in the United States for at least five years and arrived at an age of 15 or younger. Also required in the bill are a minimum two years of college and a clean criminal record among other conditions.


I agree with the editor’s statement that, “It offers something precious--the right to stay in the United States legally—but it isn’t bashful about demanding certain things in return.” The standards set in the act assure that the person benefited by it does indeed have good moral standing and intends to acquire an education, which will eventually benefit the community as a whole. There is already an incredible amount of undocumented students with college degrees, by passing the bill they will be allowed to enter the work force and actually give back to society.


Lets be honest, most Americans are still indecisive about the subject, and putting it off to the side is not solving anything. Why not allow these student the same opportunity as ordinary citizens to obtain the “American dream”.


http://www.statesman.com/opinion/content/editorial/stories/10/11/1011navarrette_edit.html

Bush Vetoes Children Health Plan

This past Wednesday President Bush vetoed a bill that would have given hundreds of poor children insurance. The Senate attempted to override the veto but the house fell short to the amount of numbers necessary. While republicans worry about how this will affect re-elections, the Democratic Party hopes to gain a substantial lead by supporting it. When Bush finally commented on the subject he simply said “I believe in private medicine, not the federal government running the health care system.” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, made his opinion when he stated that “never [had] it been clearer how detached President Bush is from the priorities of the American people.” Many people are bothered by the fact that Bush has not declared what he intends to do about the subject. After reading the comments that citizens made about the article I realize that a great majority is infuriated. It appears as though he is setting aside the interest of millions of people for his own personal gains. Oh what was the word? Greed. People are still skeptical about the war in Iraq which Bush has funded with millions of dollars but yet he is less willing to aid children with insurance funds. From what I understood from the article it seems like Bush is more committed to private sectors that only have their interests in mind. I think it would be best if the government handled the issue a bit more seriously because we trust that it’s their job to look after our needs.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/comments?type=story&id=3681815