Concord Monitor

 What Charlie Said

   
By Sheila Evans       
   

When our representatives in Congress discussed the Iraq war, the most important issue of our time, few of us had the time or opportunity to listen to the remarks made by our particular representative. Thanks to a True Majority action e-mail, I was able to read and respond to remarks made by mine - Charlie Bass.

He stated his support for continuing our presence in Iraq. "We have a responsibility to do so based on conditions on the ground," he said.

I disagree with him. Conditions on the ground could be better managed with a comprehensive thoughtful plan that subtracts the oil interests and political schemes of our elected officials who are willing to use our servicemen and women to do an impossible job.

Bass went on to say we "should not be bound by an arbitrary timeline for withdrawal that could only strengthen our enemies' resolve. Doing so would do a grave injustice to the brave men and women of our armed services, who have already sacrificed so much in the cause of freedom.

He is dead wrong. The "enemy resolve" he cites is cemented with every death of an Iraqi child. And his use of the phrase "grave injustice" is apt, but perhaps it might mean something quite different to Rep. Bass if he happened to be the friend or relative of a 23-year-old who will never come home again.