Dear Members and Friends,
As you all probably know, I think war is a horrible thing – and I strongly supported the US military invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq. I did so believing this to be the right position for me to take, in the open admission that for others, it could be very wrong. In my view, one-size fits all ethics do not work very well in serving a God Who created us all as distinct individuals with personal responsibility. Therefore, even as our faithful expression might usually be the same, our moral actions can often be fully and faithfully diverse.
Like you, I have worried over and prayed for many of our brave sons and daughters who have voluntarily donned a uniform and put their lives directly on the line. Isn’t it amazing how since 9/11, the criticism we used to hear from time to time regarding our youth has all but completely vanished. These kids, and I use the word with tremendous affection, are great people, not just great Americans. They’ve undertaken an enormous task, and facing incredible physical and psychological obstacles, they have simply excelled. They have not merely carried a ball into the end-zone, making lots of money. They have taken two whole nations of people into the land of liberty, making them free. In my book, our soldiers are tops, and irrefutable proof that older generations can be inspired by the young.
So it was with a special thrill that I watched scene after scene of millions of Iraqis walking, dancing and singing to the polls, in this their first real taste of democracy. Quite apart from the dire predictions, and sometimes patronizing assessments, these largely Islamic people have intimately embraced a new process of freedom.
And now let it not be said without a cheer or a tear that it was our men and women who substantially enabled their men and women to begin the long march to the polls, instead of having to run from a malicious tyrant. Torture chambers have given way to polling stations, and poison gas has yielded to the fresh air of freedom. As in all major conflicts, we have made our mistakes, but this one we got right.
Regardless of what any of us feel would have been the best response, let us all take note that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has now said his war is actually against democracy. Threatening all manner of wanton destruction, this purveyor of indiscriminate homicide played his true hand, and the Iraqi people called his bluff. They are voting. Demonic terrorism is losing.
So with no illusions of an easy entrance or exit, I am glad that we have stood by those we could easily have ignored or, as others did, bilked for billions. Ultimately, Iraq will have to be secured by Iraqis, but they would never have come this far had it not been for the many Americans who courageously decided to be their friends.
From Reverend William J. Keane,
Senior Minister of First Baptist Church of Branford
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