Time to demand troop withdrawal

Seven out of 10 Americans now know that the war in Iraq was wrong, and they want our involvement to end. Therefore, seven out of 10 readers of this letter should call or write Sens. Durbin and Obama and their U.S. Representative, be it Rep. Roskam, Hastert, Bean or Biggert, and express the opinion that they want our troops home.

Our senators and representatives should be told to support any legislation to bring the troops home in a responsible orderly manner, beginning now, even if voting for that legislation requires them to override a presidential veto. They should be told that their continued support of this war will be remembered in November 2008.

If Bush's war was a righteous war, when it was apparent we would not be in and out of Iraq in a few months, there should have been a tax increase for all Americans to fund the war, rather than borrowing from countries like China and sticking future generations with the bill. If Bush's war was a righteous war, there should have been a military draft with shared sacrifice by all Americans, rather than re-deploying our Reserves and National Guard again and again, and leaving our country vulnerable and our military weakened. There is a certain hypocrisy in trying to persuade Iraqis to create a democratic form of government, when our own democracy ignores the will of the majority. Don't wait until November 2008. Make that call, or write that letter now.

Diane Niesman

Wheaton