The Syrian situation is looming over the nation: to attack or not to attack, that is the question.
In a blatant violation of international treaties, Syrian president Bashar al-Assad began using chemical weapons in April, to stop the rebellion against his administration. Syrians were recently attacked with sarin gas in a Damascus suburb; thousands of people were exposed and more than 1,400 were fatally poisoned.
The ever-chivalrous Obama administration is pushing for a U.S. military response to these events — not a full-fledged wa, but an attack that might involve cruise missiles being fired from U.S. Navy ships at Syrian command targets. This sounds like yet another risky, ill-planned and pricey American mistake in the making.
There was once a time when we, and the elected government, cared more about America and a little less about the affairs of other nations. We simply don’t have money to suddenly channel into a military operation such as this, one that requires lots of preparation, precaution and manpower.
I appreciate the fact that our country’s financial and political woes are probably greater and graver than the average American can understand. I know there isn’t some wondrous money pool in which politicians splash around and occasionally toss some dollars to the public, and I understand that we want to uphold our reputation as the world’s savior in time of crisis. But funds are sparse, and while there are many financial issues that need addressing, I hope that our government will be responsible with the little we have.
Some rebels are dying in country far from us, due to a civil war that does not directly impact American lives. These rebels also happen to be religious extremists, not too different from the radical members of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. Our money and time would be furthering their pursuit of global Jihad, also known as their holy war against all non-Muslims. I do regret the lives lost; suffering and untimely death in any part of the world is tragic. But my heart aches more for the people who are struggling before my very eyes. American schools are losing their integrity, senior citizens receive meager health benefits, roads are deteriorating, homeless veterans are roaming the streets and young people can’t afford higher education.
I love this country. I love blue jeans, Times Square, buffet lines, Johnny Cash and everything that it represents. I also love freedom, which is not a uniquely American concept, but has become a term synonymous with our country’s name. But what I don’t love is the burden we’ve placed on ourselves to bestow freedom upon everyone, everywhere. These days, it seems that our nation, with the Obama administration in the lead, is unable to rest until we’ve had our way with every political or social problem that occurs beyond our borders. When their people are suffering, countries like Tunisia, Egypt and Syria ride our guilt trip toward donations and military assistance. It doesn’t bother me that they will think we’re being cold hearted, because in this conflict-riddled world, we have to look out for our own. Syria’s problems simply are not ours to fix.
