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Opinion editorials Handling of Pit Appeal Calls for a Time-Out |
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opinion editorialsThis editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by editorial page staff and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers
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Saturday, July 04, 2009
Iraq's Hope of Freedom Paid for by Americans
It's appropriate that our military in Iraq is reducing its presence there so close to our nation's celebration of its independence.
U.S. troops began to pull out of cities this week, leaving Iraqis to police themselves and sparking spirited celebrations in the streets of Baghdad. Time will tell whether the roots of democracy will take hold and flourish in soil deadened by decades of dictatorship and centuries of ethnic and religious conflict. Iraq already can teach its neighbors a thing or two about democracy.
From the safe confines of our homes we can argue about whether we should have been in Iraq to begin with and how our reasons for being there have evolved over the years. Our Constitution guarantees we can have that argument, and many men and women have shed blood the last 233 years to protect that right. That we have that freedom is one reason to celebrate today.
Political arguments notwithstanding, we pause today to remember the sacrifices made by our servicemen and women — all volunteers — who have lived the uncertainty and stress of fighting an unknown and often invisible enemy that thinks nothing of endangering or killing its own people. As of today, 4,321 U.S. servicemen and women had made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq. An additional 717 died in Afghanistan. Included in those numbers are 50 service members from or with close ties to New Mexico. And some estimate that hundreds of thousands of Iraqis also have died as a result of the war and the ensuing sectarian violence.
So today, as you celebrate your freedom, remember those who have been willing to act beyond self-interest on the chance they can make things better for people in some other part of the world.
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