Dear President Bush:
As I met with legislative aides in Washington this week, the word "inevitability" seemed to come up often. It appears that members of Congress, the only body authorized by the U.S. Constitution to declare war, believe that the war they say they are afraid of is inevitable. Afraid that they will be labeled as unpatriotic, they seem to fear raising the hard questions of you, Mr. President. I understand that's the undercurrent at the Pentagon as well. Even the generals don't want this war, but feel that you are determined to have it and that it is inevitable.
Webster's dictionary defines inevitability as something incapable of being avoided or evaded. Mr. President, if the military and the Congress feel that this war is incapable of being avoided or evaded, then something is terribly wrong. For war should only be a last resort, when every single other avenue has been tried. And not only should you and your advisors believe that it is the right thing, the only thing to do, but so, too, should the military, the Congress, and the American people.
If war is inevitable, then so is death. The deaths of those young men and women who serve our country. The deaths of the women and children in Iraq who will surely die from our bombs because we know that their leader is liable to place them in harm's way just to prove his point. Perhaps the deaths of civilians across the Middle East if Iraq then attacks Israel, which then will attack back, perhaps dragging in other countries as well.
If war is inevitable, then so is more terror. In the days after the terrorist attacks on September 11, you declared war on terrorism, but a war against Iraq may very well lead to more terrorists and therefore more terrorism. As young men across the Arab world see the news clips of death, some who might have instead become computer programmers or shop keepers will choose instead to become bearers of death. The only way to really defeat terrorism is for the world to find a way to share the wealth of God's creation and for people around the world to experience true democracy, not a government put in place through either our bombing or propped up by our financial support. If war is inevitable, then so will be a split around the world by religion. Many Muslim countries will find it impossible to stay neutral as those news clips show the death and destruction and the entry of Israel into it all will further harden their positions.
If war is inevitable, then so will be the end of any possibility of prescription drug plans for our seniors who desperately need it. If war is inevitable, then so will be the end of federal dollars available to help leave no child behind, because those dollars will go towards bombs and ammunition. And not only will American children be left behind, but so, too, will be children around the world as our financial commitments to ending the HIV/AIDS pandemic become difficult, if not impossible.
If war is inevitable, then so will be the end of this administration's attention on investigating and prosecuting those in corporations who stole billions of dollars from employees and pensioners and stock holders because every administration at war has had to focus all of its attention on war and its foreseen and unforeseen impact. Even now, consumed only by the talk of war, the administration and Congress have not yet got a budget agreement for the fiscal year ending September 30.
Mr. President, I remember Vietnam. I remember the three million people, including the 55,000 Americans, who died because of misinformation and lies given to the U.S. Congress. I remember my cousin Charles, who never was the same when he returned from Vietnam and died without ever reaching 30. I remember the families torn apart by the war. I remember the dollars this nation wasted on war instead of investing in peace. I remember them, Mr. President, and so should you.
War should never be inevitable. It should be a very last resort. There's still
time, Mr. President. Still time for peace.