funny you should bring this up. I was just musing over this issue this morning while I was putting on my makeup. :)

On the one hand, we have a bunch of leaders throughout the world (including Middle East) who are harming their people in many ways. People are dying for no good reason, other than the fact the dictator of these areas enjoy the power to play 'God' over another's destiny.

On the other hand, the US has never in her history been the first to strike. We wait until we are struck first. We do not want war as a nation.

Now, we have these folks in other areas who want not only to do their own people harm, but others as well. Especially the US, we are not exactly liked the best in world affairs, you know. Despite the fact we give tremendous amounts of money every year to nations for medical supplies, food, etc. We ship out volunteers by the thousands per some group or another.

On one hand, I feel we need to protect and fight for those who are unable to do so themselves. On the other hand, looking at how the world already views us, maybe it's not such a good idea.

But, what's more important, I must ask myself. Human life, or our reputation. Human life, of course. Now, what's the best action to take? If we strike like we did in the past few years, other leaders who are doing bad things to their people (and who pose a definate threat to democracy and other free nations) will cower and thus behave, lest the US come after them. But, we also have some major contenders in the game, who have nuclear weapons or at least the technology for them, and are crazy enough to use them. We have tried dialogue for many years, mostly out of self-interest.

I just thank God I do not have to make this decision. I pray and beg God to give all the leaders of the nations wisdom and the courage to put that wisdom to use.

I'm at a stalemate in one sense, that the world views us already as war-mongers. It does affect our foreign policy and trade. Yet again, what about the lives who are lost every day due to injustice, and the threat these leaders possibly pose to our borders, and the borders of free nations. O, heck-how about any other nation? When a dictator is in power anywhere in the world, it is difficult to feel safe. Who knows what lies in the mind of these folks? People are imprisoned, tortured, murdered-for no good reason. Genocide (ethnic cleansing) has become a way of life in some smaller countries. Shall we allow this to go on? Many of the oppressed have *begged* the US and the UN to get involved somehow and put an end to the bloodshed, violence, abject poverty, starvation, etc. The UN has not acted swiftly enough. Waiting 10 years or better, while people are dying? come on! I myself have chatted with people from these areas during the Clinton administration, up to about a year ago. One ggal had a phone with internet access, though they weren't supposed to have them. She kept asking, where is the US? Why don't they do something? I wrote to my congresspeople, senators, etc. about this. She lost her parents due to a slaughter under Hussein. I've not heard from her for a year...
:(

I am not stating I'm for or against. I simply do not know how to respond in this dilemma. So I let God take care of the details, He knows what He's doing.

One thing's certain-my vote is already cast for Bush. I like many of his other policies, though I am a bit uninformed on the war policies.