Archive: Opinions

The 2010 midterm elections are over.  Last week, Republicans scored resounding victories across the country.  They won an overwhelming number of races retaking the House of Representatives.  While they did not win enough seats to regain the Senate, they gained 6 and have closed the power gap taking away the Democrats’ filibuster proof majority that they held for two years.   

At the state level, Republicans emerged as victors in many legislative and governor races.  These big wins will ensure that their party will dominate the redrawing of congressional districts that begins next year.  After each census, politicians in most states engage in a partisan ritual of adjusting district lines in hopes of sending more of their allies to Washington for elections to come.

However, there were some losers, and I am not speaking of politicians or ballot initiatives.  I am referring to the men and women in our armed forces.  While most candidates focused on domestic issues, like jobs and America’s standing as an economic power, few, if any, campaigned about our troops in fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. 

In Afghanistan, the number of U.S. war casualties has reached for 431 as of November 2010.  Since Operation Enduring Freedom began in 2001, 1378 soldiers have died in combat.  With a little over a month and a half left in this year, 2010 will be the deadliest for American soldiers.

The casualty count in the Iraq War has dropped dramatically to 57 for 2010.  The drop in the number killed in combat coincides with the troop withdrawal beginning in 2009.

The newly elected politicians owe it to the American people to put an end to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Each day, we read of an IED killing or wounding US soldiers on patrol.  Some days we hear about an ambush or planned raid by the Taliban.  Yet, how many of those running for an elected office mentioned the sacrifice of our men and women serving in our armed forces?  How many reached out to their families with a promise to end the war and safely bring home their loved ones

Sadly, the answer is few.  Since election night, I have listened to Democrats and Republicans describe their strategies and plans for governing our country.  The media flock to their press conferences and transmit their sound bites without ever asking the question, “Are you concerned about our men and women fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq.”   The arrogance and egotism sickens me.  Not one of them mentioned the troops and the incredible loss of American, Iraqi and Afghan life. 

There are few, if any, who take notice or mention the sacrifice our armed forces.  The Lehrer News Hour is one of the few media outlets that pauses for a moment of silence as the names of those killed in combat scroll across the screen.  This brief, but poignant, memorial reminds us who is making the ultimate sacrifice so the rest of us can participate in the electoral process. 

I went to the library and did a bit of investigative journalism.  I searched the major newspapers and magazines both in print and online to determine where the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan rate.  For most venues, war coverage is buried deep inside far from the front page.

We owe it to our men and women in combat to make their safety our top priority.  It is my sincere hope that the winners in this year’s election will remember that the lives of Americans are hanging in the balance.  The history of Afghanistan teaches us that there are no victories when wars are fought on their soil.  Bring them home now-while they are alive.  And that is to the point. 

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