American Involvment in Middle East Peace

Thank you again for your response. I also am enjoying the debate… You have stated that since 1865 no one has been subjected to slavery and that Native Americans today are not subject to losing their lands. The Civil War ended the legal use of slavery. One law, one piece of paper signed by a president, could not change the mind set and behavior of an entire nation, or section of a nation, instantaneously. The Reconstruction years after The Civil War and all the way up to the present (cases such as Rodney King) are filled with instances of not only discrimination, but hangings and other severe abuse. If this were not the case, there would have been no need, in the 60's, for a March to Washington or for leaders such as King, Malcolm X etc., to defend their black brothers. As for Native Americans, there is legislation at this very moment, in Washington D.C., to deprive Natives of more land, to shrink their reservations, to take away the beautiful forests (that Natives are so careful to preserve) and chop them down. The government covets these resources. Income from casinos in't, in every case, the answer to the economic plight of Natives. It is tantamount to a black man from Harlem winning the lottery. Neither has been trained how to use the money wisely. Both Natives and Black Americans had their cultures ripped away from them by the white majority. They previously had very decent, very dignified, very disciplined cultures. The U.S. government now wants to solve a few centuries of deprivation and disaster by handing them a few bucks by way of Casino rights or ghetto housing projects. It doesn't quite do the trick. As individuals, you (and many others) hope for the day when everyone is treated equally, fairly and with dignity. We hope our country can lead the way showing other countries as well. Children copy their parent's behavior. If parents set a bad example, the children learn the wrong behavior. If America treats its own citizens poorly – how can we expect to train others? You have stated that America sends millions, possibly billions to the Israeli military and that we do indeed intervene, if without actual military presence (which might be against public opinion). Let me restate the issue. My promise is not that we do not help at all or that we need a military presence to actually be of help. My main criticism is that our help or aid, almost always has strings attached. Whether Israel or anywhere else we ‘use' aid or defense as a lever to gain what we want; sometimes without the request or approval of the recipient country. We step in to ‘help' for reasons of our own and with our own hidden agenda. This is what causes the friction. Additionally, in the middle of a dispute or conflict, our American government may switch sides and cause even more upheaval, if they find it to their advantage. ‘True help' has no strings attached and can actually be beneficial to both sides in a conflict. We shouldn't hate Natives, African Americans or Arabs. We should, as you suggest, promote peace among all people. (You may be surprised to know that there are areas in Iraq/Iran where Jews are being treated better than many Western nations have treated them.) It has been a blight on the reputation of the West that they are known for entering a region and pitting one group against another for their own purposes. They did it in the French and Indian War, with Native American tribes, in India with Hindus and Muslims, in the Middle East with Jews and Arabs. Is it any wonder foreign nations are leery of Western ‘help'? You have stated that terrorists will overrun Iraq and create a haven for terrorists if U.S. troops leave. Every nation has true terrorists, misfits and radicals. Iraq may have more than its share. Does that justify the whole U.S. Army taking possession of the country and blowing most of it to pieces along with hundreds of civilians and millions of dollars worth of property and businesses? Saddam himself did not wreak this kind of damage on his country. Something is dreadfully wrong here. Again – if we had a motive of helping against terrorists we could have volunteered a small task force of special agents to help. The whole country is not terrorists. I still maintain that most of those labeled ‘insurgents' are simply those rejecting the American presence. You have stated that to leave Iraq now would mean that those soldiers who have died there have died in vain. What did they die for? Do they know? And is that why army suicides are at an all-time high? Because they, more than anyone, know we don't belong there? Do not interpret my comments to mean I am anti-American or Anti-Government. I love my country, my Americans in uniform – but our own government is leading us down the wrong path. Please respond. God Bless America with Change!