DADvocate

As widely reported, John Murtha, Democratic Congressman from Pennsylvania, has called for pulling out from Iraq. While I had and have reservations about the war in Iraq, I disagree with Murtha for simple reasons.

Pulling out gives our enemies the message that we don't have the intestinal fortitude to stick it, or anything, out. All our enemies have to do is out last us and they win. Also, pulling out without insuring internal stability in Iraq and with insuring that the Iraqi government has the ability to sustain itself would be horribly irresponsible and may lead to the deaths of many more Iraqis.

What bothers me most about what Murtha is his response to Dick Cheney's criticism of Democrats.

"I like guys who've never been there that criticize us who've been there. I like that. I like guys who got five deferments and never been there and send people to war, and then don't like to hear suggestions about what needs to be done."

Our military was put under civilian control by our founder fathers for an important reason, that the military should answer to the civilians it is supposed to protect and defend. Murtha implies that these civilians should not have a voice in military actions. This is quite similar to the argument that we've heard that Cindy Sheehan had some sort of moral imperative or greater moral grounds to speak out against the war because her son had died in battle.

In our society, all voice are supposed to be equal. That is why we have one person, one vote. If you can win the argument on the merits of your case, great. But trying to lock people out of a debate because they never served in the military, or no one in their family died in military service goes against the grain of an egalitarian, pluralistic society. Of course, I would like it so that only property owners vote on property taxes.