by Dean Hartwell
Recently, both houses of
Congress voted overwhelmingly for a resolution to authorize President Bush to
use force in Iraq. In deciding to send
young men and women into harm’s way, each member likely cast one of the most
important votes of their respective careers.
How many members of Congress
have children who would face combat if the U.S. goes to war?
The answer is only one,
Senator Tim Johnson, Democrat from South Dakota. He voted for the resolution despite the fact that his son is in
the 101st Airborne, one of the first units usually called to
war. Johnson gave his vote much
deliberation before making it.
If the majority of members
in Congress had children in the military, the vote to authorize force would not
have been overwhelming. More members
would have expressed their concerns to President Bush and to each other. It would have given the president pause
before sending others to do something he would not do.
It is well worth noting that
three recent presidents who avoided active military service, Presidents Ronald
Reagan, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, have each used the military more than
most of our presidents. Perhaps with
military experience they would have seen the option to use the military in a
different perspective.
In contrast, the United
States has never elected as its president a former general who started a
war. This list of presidents includes
George Washington, Andrew Jackson and Dwight Eisenhower. Their experiences undoubtedly persuaded them
to seek resolutions to conflicts other than by using force.
Many of the leading war
hawks in the Bush Administration avoided service in the military. Interestingly, retired General Colin Powell,
the Secretary of State, has voiced concerns over the possibility of conflict
with Iraq.
Leaders must never view war
as anything but a last resort. Instead,
they should listen to the voices of reason of those who understand the price
people will pay. If every member of
Congress treated the decision to go to war with the same care they would if
their sons and daughters would have to fight, there would be no reasons for
anyone’s sons and daughters to be sent to fight anywhere.