Originally posted by christa
I don’t vote thoughtlessly, as you imply.
Please don't think I am implying that! I know you wouldn't throw your vote away. What I am responding to is what you said here:

Originally posted by christa
And he has a plan how to fix it? I never have really heard his plan . . . ??? Enlighten me?
I was trying to enlighten you.

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Originally posted by christa
So many people don't support the troops because they're not supporting the cause. It's sad really.
I hope that wasn't directed towards me, because if so that would hurt my feelings. I support our troops. I want them out of harm's way. We all do. That's not the issue. The issue is the best way to go about getting them out of Iraq. I don't know of anyone who would want a long-term occupation of Iraq. At some point, we have to stop being 90% of the troops over there. We cannot continue on that path for long - our country doesn't have the means.

What bothers me about the "support our troops" thing is that people just slap a yellow ribbon magnet on the back of their car and say "I support the troops," without actually volunteering/donating to anything that would help the troops. I volunteer on John Kerry's campaign because I believe under his leadership our troops will be safer. Like Kerry said last night, there are troops without body armor over there, and humvees without armor. It breaks my heart.

I think our main difference of opinion lies here: I believe that the Iraqis and the rest of the world want us out of Iraq. I do not think it is the right thing to occupy another country. I think if we follow John Kerry's plan to transfer power back to the Iraqis, the world will be a safer place.

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Originally posted by christa
Besides, how can you say that we were wrong to free the people of Iraq? They have been living under the rule of a tyrant. A man that only knows violence. Rape rooms, torture chambers . . . how can you believe that what we did was a mistake? That’s basically what Kerry is saying? Am I wrong?
I believe you are. Kerry is not trying to say that stopping Saddam's torture was a mistake. He has never said that. But Bush told us Saddam was taken out of power because he wouldn't disarm........because he didn't have anything to disarm. As a result of our invasion, the people of Iraq were going to be freed, right? They are not free right now. They're living under our rule instead of Saddam's. Agreed, they are better off with him out of power, but they are not yet a free country. Sure, the Iraqis are better off without those things happening to them, but their people are still dying. Osama bin Laden is still out there. We are making more enemies every day in the Middle East. We're giving more and more terrorists a reason to hate us each moment we're in that country.

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Agreed - let's not let this turn ugly between us. We see things differently, and what's so great about America is that that's OK. We can go to the election sites on Nov. 2nd and vote for who we support.....too bad for me there's no way Kerry's winning Kentucky, right?