Democrats need to question war.

The world has heard and seen the tragedy that was September 11th and
all were riveted with the specter of the burning and collapsing towers,
icon's of corporate America, that were targeted once again.

Americans rallied behind a war time president, as we usually do, at
least at first and patriotic symbols were dusted off and displayed with
pride on houses, cars and roadsides with a passion not seen since the
bombing of Pearl Harbor.

We saw ordinary people working ordinary jobs. From the food servers
working at the "Windows of the World" restaurant to firefighters and
police officers determined to rescue those they could at the cost of
their own lives.

Those on flight 93, who probably rushed the cock pit and in an act of
selfless courage, deliberately crashed the plane far from harms way
after hearing of the Twin Towers attack.

Our anger became well known and our President had a plan. We bombed
Afghanistan, declared a war and formed a coalition. We built a
detention camp in Cuba to house those who we suspected fought with or
for Al Qaida or were suspected material witnesses.

The hunt for Osama Bin Laden was on. A hunt that the previous
administration was criticized for undertaking. We still don't know if
he is dead or alive. We rid Afghanistan of the Taliban, install a
figure head, but fighting continues.

Almost a year later, many people are silently questioning the way this
war of ours is being fought yet are confused and bewildered.

Nobody wants to upset the apple cart by criticizing a president whose
poll numbers are through the roof. It could be viewed as unpatriotic or
worse, sympathetic to the enemy, given a speech President Bush gave in
which he said "You are either for us, or against us." We have become a
people intimidated into silence.

"Terrorist," "Evil-doers" "Axis of Evil" "Enemy combatants" and
"Detainee's." Fighting words or belligerent depending on your political
persuasion and propagandized after September 11th, 2001.

An ad on television depicts a row of nondescript houses and a voice
asking if the world had changed since September 11th, then showing
those same houses with flags displayed and the voice saying that yes,
the world has changed.

The war is becoming a public relations endeavor. An attempt to continue
the momentum to convince the populace that this is indeed the right
thing to do.

Consider this administrations continued glee at the thought of
attacking Iraq, despite warnings from senators and congressmen of both
parties that a war with Iraq would likely produce more terrorist
attacks, and cost a bundle. Fifteen of the 19 hijackers were Saudi
nationals not Iraqi and nobody appears to have a clear cut idea of
Iraq's capability to produce weapons of mass destruction. We also
insist on regime changes in several other countries, democratically
elected or not.

With Corporations tanking everyday because of rampant greed and CEO's
absconding with millions of investors and employee's money, is this
really such a good idea, especially with the Vice President and the
Secretary of the Army under suspicion and questions of the President's
own corporate background in question?

It certainly doesn't instill confidence dealing with corporate greed by
acting as if their hands were slapped after entering the cookie jar and
promising never to do it again by punishing those that did.

We seem to be fighting this war, supposedly for justice and freedom for
all, in basically the same way. We missed significant hints that an
attack could be eminent, especially in light of the fact the WTC had
been attacked before, the war on terrorism has become an excuse to
invade Iraq in retaliation for not capitulating the first time around.
We want members of the Congress and the Senate to under go scrutiny for
leaking news that there was a major screw up when we failed to decipher
plans of an attack. intercepted the day before, until they day after.
As if incompetence is a matter of national security.

Constitutional protection will not apply to the detainee's, preferring
military tribunals instead of real trials. These are the same
protections that served as a model for democracy and freedom to many
other countries like Japan after World War II and the same protections
thousands lost their lives to uphold.

The U.S. has refused to sign, or should that be " has unsigned" an
agreement with the International Criminal Court and threatened the
Netherlands with attack if any American peace keeper should find him or
herself on trial. We have threatened to pull our troops or "peace
keepers" from Bosnia and other countries unless the U.S. is exempt from
the ICC. It's as if Americans never have and never would commit
atrocities or worse, that we are setting ourselves up to be above the
law.

Our allies are loosing patience with us because we don't seem capable
of practicing what we have been preaching for two hundred years. We
practice blackmail, intimidation and force.

Democrats have an issue that has fallen into their hands. An issue of
isolationism and imperialism wrapped up in the American flag. Make a
fist, inhale deeply and let it fly. It's a dirty job, but someone needs
to do it. Soon.