What are we fighting for?

The shocking and disturbing cover of Time magazine's current issue can be found here.

From Time's managing editor, Richard Stengel:

I thought long and hard about whether to put this image on the cover of TIME. First, I wanted to make sure of Aisha's safety and that she understood what it would mean to be on the cover. She knows that she will become a symbol of the price Afghan women have had to pay for the repressive ideology of the Taliban. We also confirmed that she is in a secret location protected by armed guards and sponsored by the NGO Women for Afghan Women. Aisha will head to the U.S. for reconstructive surgery sponsored by the Grossman Burn Foundation, a humanitarian organization in California. We are supporting that effort.

To paraphrase P.J. O'Rourke, the United States Marines have done more for human rights around the planet than any other entity including the combined efforts of the world's human rights groups.

We struggle mightily with this. Come November it will have been 9 years of war in Afghanistan and currently, there is no end in sight. Self-defeating notions of time tables for withdrawal aside, we mean victory when we say end. We understand the hazards of nation-building (btw, the world is a better place without Sadaam Hussein in it) but when you are the most powerful nation on earth, to what degree do you turn a blind eye to evil? And make no mistake, the Taliban and al-Queda are evil.

He said, "I’ve had people come up to me and say ‘I support the troops, I want you out of there.’ Really? What have you done to support the troops? What have you done other than complain? Have you petitioned the halls of Congress? Have you written your representative? Have you asked the president to increase our pay, increase our benefits? That’s supporting the troops. Saying you want the troops out of Afghanistan by talking to no one of influence is wasting your time, and you’re a complainer. And you’re not supporting the troops.

"Do something for us. Call your senator, talk to your senator. Talk to your representative. If you want us to stay here and continue to fight this war on terror, tell your senator, tell your representative. If you don’t want us to fight this war on terror, and want us back home, call your representative, call your senator. Write them a letter. Say, 'I’m in your constituency, I want the soldiers gone.' Vote.

That from 1st Lt. Christopher Babcock of New Orleans who is currently serving in Afghanistan.




Babcock is an American soldier. He will do whatever is asked of him. God bless him.