It comes to no one's surprise that I am a reformed liberal, but did I choose this fate? Is it my fault? I guess that I am and my reasoning for the change can be blamed on George W. Bush, our current Commander-in-Chief. The decisions that he has made in Iraq have had dire effects on our soldiers and airmen. 3,422 Americans have been killed to date (as I write this rant).


Since I have made the "change" to the Democratic Party, due to my views on the war in Iraq, I have had some harsh discussions with friends. You have to understand that I live in the Dallas Area, in the heart of Texas. Texas is probably the most conservative state in the union. Everyone here seems to think that Bush doesn't stink, that he cannot do anything wrong. I was talking this past Saturday with a friend, who is extremely right wing, and I asked him why does he "really" back President Bush. He stated that it was the way he was brought up, to obey the people that are placed in charge. This is not the only time that I have discussed such views; I even have them with my wife. I cannot seem to get my point across to her or any other person that I talk to. Some do agree with me that Bush has not made the right decisions, but that they continue to back him.


Over the past few months Bush has been increasing the number of troops in Iraq to curb the violence. He stated that the increase was necessary so that the violent acts would go down and according to ABC World News the acts have only declined by a few instances. It seems to me that the increase is not working and that it is only placing our troops more in harms way. Hmmm, I wonder if this is one of the reasons that Bush's approval rating continues to plummet. They put some statistics up on the TV screen that showed that since the implementation of more soldiers, that the number of violent acts has only decreased by 10 or so acts. Is it working, well the numbers prove that it is not.


Sometimes the discussion of Iraq has come to the fore front in my Sunday school class and I just keep my mouth shut. I am the only one who seems to be against the war and I would get hammered if I was to open my mouth, so I just keep it shut. Now I will always back my own views and no one can change that, but I also cannot make the "others" change their mind, it is not my place. It also does not have an effect on my friendship at all, if it did, I would not have any friends. I guess that I really do live Behind Enemy lines.