Memorial Day

One of the things I like to do to prepare for a trip is to read books set in the place where we're going. In July, we head to Berlin. One of the books I've been reading is Berlin Diary, an absolutely fascinating account of the months before the second World War, and the first year or so of that war, from the perspective of a foreign correspondent (William Shirer). Shirer had a unique firsthand view of Hitler's rise to power, and saw more clearly than most did at the time how easily Hitler was willing to lie and break treaties.

It's remarkable how suspenseful the book is, even though you already know what's going to happen. ("Mike! They just gave Hitler the Sudetenland!")

But one of the things that comes through most clearly is that there are some wars worth fighting. The British, the Americans, and many other Europeans at the time just wanted peace; Europe was still recovering from World War I. Even at the time, though, it was clear (at least from Shirer's inside view) that Hitler would stop at nothing, tolerated no dissent, and would stamp out freedom and democracy wherever and however he could. It was a real threat, in other words. ("Chamberlain, you idiot! Don't give in to him!")

War demands sacrifice from so many people, and Memorial Day honors those who paid for war with their lives. But because of this terrible price, leaders should make sure, make very sure, that the war is worth the cost.

And the war we are fighting today in Iraq is an unnecessary war. An ill-conceived, deceptively-sold, and criminally mismanaged war. The U.S. did not need to invade a country that was not an immediate threat to our national security.

The motivations of the soldiers fighting in World War II and the war in Iraq today probably aren't too much different -- fighting for freedom, for their families, for their country. This dedication, this commitment, this sacrifice, deserves a leadership that will not demand this sacrifice except for the most urgent and justified of reasons. I feel sick on this Memorial Day because this trust and dedication has been betrayed by our government, our cowboy President. Our soldiers and our nation deserve better.