Leaving is progress

 

Progress.

This summer there was a news report of a tortoise that had escaped from captivity. It was missing for several hours. During that time, it was making progress but it had only traveled a few hundred feet. It was making progress alright, but it had not gotten very far.

Now we are hearing that "progress" is being made in Iraq, thus, the United States must continue its costly occupation. We are told that if we do not continue, the progress that has been made will be lost. But if we look carefully at this "progress," it is apparent that it is minute, very spotty and comes at great cost to the people and land of Iraq.

Also, the statements of the Bush administration show that this progress is more for the benefit of the United States than for Iraq. ("If we don't fight them there, we will have to fight them here.")

It is time for genuine progress in Iraq. It is time for the United States to end its self-serving occupation so that the people of Iraq can work out their own political solutions in ways that best fit their culture and for their own good.

As quickly as possible, we need to bring our wonderful men and women soldiers home where they belong and end their needless sacrificing and suffering. Now that would be real progress.

Bill Moorcroft,
Fort Collins