My View: Pay Attention

POSTED: 8:20 am EST January 3, 2005
UPDATED: 11:22 am EST January 3, 2005

Was it just me or did 2004 seem like a long, strange trip? My apologies to Jerry Garcia & Company, but if the phrase works, you gotta use it.

So strange, in fact, that I've been at a loss for words these past couple of weeks as to how to sum it up. Faced with the dilemma, I reverted to what worked in my childhood. I ignored it. And guess what? It worked. The year and the dilemma passed. Now I can get back to my weekly rant.

Someone I hold very dear to me has hinted...just hinted, mind you, that I can be a bit negative. A dark cloud of pessimism. And maybe they are right. Because rather than write about something fresh at the start of this New Year, I am choosing a leftover from 2004.

I'd like to write about something else. I wish I could force myself, but I can't. It's the war. I can't shake it. And neither should you.

Oh, I tried to forget about it over the holidays, but I couldn't. Because surrounded by family just minutes from digging in to our Christmas Eve dinner, my niece Kristi called....from Iraq.

Kristi's just a wisp of a woman, barely five feet tall. For the past year or so, she's been sloggin' it out in the desert with thousands of other American GI's. When she called Christmas Eve, it was 5 a.m. local time for her.

She had just finished a 25 hour re-supply between Tikrit and Kirkuk. Her convoy took some fire, but thankfully there was only one minor injury.

We passed the phone from one to another, until nearly all of us had our turn. She sounded tired, but she was glad to talk. Unfortunately, she had to hurry. Another GI was waiting to make a Christmas call to his loved ones.

My niece is in Iraq. She doesn't complain about it. She, like thousands of others there, suck it up every day and do their job. Maybe you have a loved one there, or know someone who has. I'm proud of them all.

But I don't like my niece being in Iraq. I don't like it one bit. I don't like it that any of our sons, daughters, wives, husbands, fathers, mothers, nieces or nephews are there while much of that country is in such chaos.

Whether I agree or disagree on why we went there as a nation, I understand the need to finish this transition and help create an independent, free Iraq. There is an election there later this month. Like we did in the early stages of the war, I hope we've done all we can in these early stages of the election and transition to insure success.

Because then, our loved ones can transition home instead of having their assignments overseas lengthened. Again.

So, don't ignore Iraq. Don't grow weary from the sameness of the daily reports. Pay attention. Be proud of our GI's and the job they're doing and don't lose focus on the job our politicians and diplomats here are doing.

Demand honesty and integrity from them.

Hopefully, it will work out for the best in Iraq in the coming weeks and months. I hope their people do get to enjoy a safe, free society soon. And selfishly, I want to enjoy Christmas Eve dinner 2005 with one more place set at the table....and no phone call from Iraq.

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