My family has fought in every war the USA has been in including the revolution. I myself have two siblings that have gone to both Afghanistan and Iraq in the past 3 years as part of their service to this country. I was so fortunate to not have been eligible to be in harms way due to having been born with only one kidney. Not a day or sometimes an hour goes by that I won't hope they are well, and that their compatriots in arms are as well. I cannot think of what it must feel like to be the parent or spouse or child of those killed in action. We owe a debt to all of them we can never repay. My siblings are educated and not prone to believing propaganda and they both feel that we did the right thing when it comes to Iraq, regardless of the presence of WMD. This world is becoming smaller everyday...how much room is there for governments that pose a threat to their neighbors? Beyond any shadow of doubt in my mind, the USA and it's allies and the entire world were incredibly patient with Saddam Hussein, but the time had come to do something and I do not believe that we could afford to continue with diplomacy. As worded in UN resolution 1441 that meant SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES. We had already done everything else we could do...what was left but to go to war? Some have argued that there never were any WMD, that Saddam behaved the way he did because it gave him strength with his people because they admired his defiance. However, WMD's are not something to take an action of wait and see. A leader must lead, regardless of the consequences, and must accept his political fate based on the outcome. It is my hope that democracy will be born in Iraq so that those persons there can begin to enjoy in freedoms the rights most of us in the western world take as normal. 11:45, 24 Jan 2005 (UTC)