My Theory on Jack Murtha...

Today, I saw Rep. Jack Murtha say to a reporter that if he were a young man today, he would not join the military. Even Gen. Wesley Clark could not understand how a person with Murtha's resume would say such a thing. It's leaving a lot of people wondering what is causing such a betrayal or epiphany, depending on which side you are on. Now, I watched Murtha's entire speech in the House , explaining the reasons for his change of heart. Even though I disagreed with him, I respected his opinion. The feeling that the Iraqi people did not want us there was an overriding theme. If I were an Iraqi, I wouldn't want anyone in my country either, whether they were protecting me or not. The ensuing "hand to mouth" , and " I wouldn't join if I were you" comments I found to be insulting and bad for troop morale. Here is my theory on why. I imagine Jack Murtha has seen a lot. Having served in Vietnam, he's seen many young people die, not always for the best reasons. After 34 years in the military, he's likely had his fill of visiting injured boys at Walter Reed Hospital. Aside from military years, Murtha is not a young man, and older people, particularly those who have been in war, will try to make amends in their later years. My Dad is 81, and I see the effort he gives to apologize for his earlier mistakes. Murtha is seeing Iraq, it reminds him of Vietnam all over again, and he feels it is his duty to wave the red flag and avoid what he thinks is a futile war. It is admirable, but misguided. Iraq and Vietnam are different conflicts. Vietnam was fought between two entire nations that were split idealogically down the middle. Iraq is a country of 25 million that is being attacked by 5 or 10,000 insurgents under no flag. Many people forget we were told by experts that it would take 3-5 years to get out of Iraq. It's a lot like flushing cockroaches, without being able to throw a fogger at them. You can only take out a few at a time. Yes , we'd like the Iraqi army to train faster, but this isn't a nightguard job, this is fighting an experienced and creative enemy. As they stand up, America will stand down. I don't see Murtha's stance as a political ploy - I do see it in others since his speech. While I understand how his experience may influence his thinking, as we say in sales, 'I appreciate your input'. America doesn't always do the popular thing, it does what it needs to do. If you see a soldier, tell them thanks.

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