“i’m just around the corner but i feel so far, have i lost my mind?
it’s like i’m blinded by the things i see, holding my eyes shut keeps the truth from me
now that i know how desperate a man can be would you bring me back
out of the black
it’s obvious to see
not obvious to me
that you were waiting right here in front of me”
–Wideawake, “Obvious” from their excellent album, Not So Far Away

That song popped into my head, but it has little to do with what this post is about!

What is obvious to me is something about the war in Iraq, but it seems like it’s not obvious to many people I talk to.

Many people hate George Bush. Alright, not good to hate a person, but that’s another topic.

I have a question for those people: Why are our troops still over there putting their lives at risk in Iraq?

Easy answer: Because Iraq would crumble into violent chaos, unrestrained by the good will and power of the United States’ troops. This is obvious, as terrorists murder women, children, our troops, their co-religionists, and themselves every single day.

Our troops can’t leave because there are thousands of murderous, evil, twisted people bent on gaining power, on forcing their will and beliefs upon others, and they will gladly kill defenseless people to achieve their wicked desires.

Where did these people come from? Most are from Iraq! Some are from other countries. The United States did not cause these people to become evil; rather, for many decades the ruthless Saddam Hussein committed atrocities against his own people, and the evil he did bred more evil, bred resentment, hatred, and desire for revenge.

Now, Saddam’s yoke has been thrown off by the United States, and the evil that has festered for decades is boiling over. It has little to do with George Bush and a lot to do with the nature of evil.

Some people don’t want to understand this, but the key is to look at the people that these terrorists are killing. It’s not all U.S. troops. It’s women, it’s children, it’s their own countrymen, its their co-religionists.

Why would someone kill an innocent little child? What more heinous, cowardly, or insanely cruel act could be committed? Yet there are men doing just that over there. It is not the fault of the United States, and to blame the U.S. for terrorists’ evil actions is utter foolishness.

People can go on hating George Bush. But if your hatred blinds you to the obvious evil of the “insurgents” in Iraq, then I hope you will stop a moment and consider what I have said so you can discern the truth of the situation.

It’s obvious to me.