Editor,
Whatever one's view of the exchange between Philip Howell and Joachim Oberst regarding the war in Iraq and all its merits or lack thereof, the following information should be part of any debate worth the attention of the rest of us.
The war has been either the first or second issue for the American public for the past year.
Over 2 1/2 million Iraqis have been displaced either internally or in neighboring countries and are deprived of income, security or education for their children.
The war eats up $1 billion in a week, which we borrow either from China or Japan.
The number of those dead on the American side has reached more than 3,000, with 20,000 seriously wounded or maimed. Trillions of dollars are required to care for them over their - and our - lifespan.
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The American people do not condone the loss of more than 600,000 Iraqi lives in this struggle. Regardless of who or what forces killed them, they are casualties of a war we began.
The result is that there are more terrorist organizations now bent on our destruction than before 2001. Such organizations are also proliferating at an
alarming rate.
Therefore, a true patriot should consider not debate points to be won or lost but how to extricate our brave men and women from this endless and pointless struggle and repair the damage caused thereby - to the extent that the American people can repair it.
Carol Lovato
Daily Lobo reader
