Can love and war co-exist?

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King


As the war in Iraq continues to escalate, get uglier and uglier, more and more people die and are maimed, and congress debates, I have become more and more troubled. Of the American troops deployed to Iraq, a recent survey showed that nearly 40% of them do not believe the current tactics and strategy will be successful. If that is any indication of troop morale, I'd say it is quite low.

Approval of the war in Iraq and of President Bush's handling of it have also continued to plummet.

But, beyond all the opinion polls, is a basic moral issue- the American occupation of Iraq, with the civil strife and insurgency it has opened up is not a just war; it is a quagmire.

Recently I have been reflecting on the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, jr. in this poignant message "Why I am Opposed to the War in Vietnam," whose birthday our nation celebrated last month remind us of the perils of an unjust war, like the quagmire our nation was plunged into in Vietnam:

I assert that love and war cannot co-exist, particularly an unjust war, such as the one that has been forced upon our nation and the people of Iraq by this administration.

President Bush, or no one man for that matter, is "the sole decider." We live in a democracy, so "we the people" are ultimately the deciders. America, let's wake up and reclaim our country and press for accountability from all of our leaders. We owe this to our troops, to our fellow citizens, and to the civilians of Iraq and the middle east who are caught in the deadly and chaotic crossfire.

Let us all pray for peace, and heed the poignant words of Dr. King.

John