As I sit waiting to board a plane that will take me to a place I have only read about in books and seen on television, I was saddened to learn of peace protests that have broken out on the campus in which I once walked.

Many of you may remember me and some may have never met me, but the fact that you think this war is wrong is ridiculous. I was pulled away from my family, friends, and life as I knew it to serve my country. To that I bound myself almost three years ago when I signed to join the National Guard. I was proud to answer the call of my country when I got it and am proud to serve today.

Many people at UTM have labeled the war “evil” and “unnecessary.” I agree that war is an evil thing. As a soldier, I train to fight with the hope that one-day peace will rein on this earth and that we will all live in harmony. Unfortunately, sometimes the only way to attain peace is on the other side of war.

I have seen videos of our troops pouring into Kuwait City at the end of the Gulf War. They were greeted by hundreds of children who wore bandages over their eyes. I asked the instructor of the class(a former Kuwatti Citizen) why the children wore these. To my horror I was told that these children had been tied down in front of their parents, and when their parents refused to give the Iraqi soldiers and intelligence officials information, they stuck hot pokers through their eyeballs.

I saw images of the Kurdish families after they had been attacked by chemical agents by the Iraqi troops at the order of their leader, Saddam Hussein. The blister agents used basically rotted of the skin of all who came in contact with it.

The nerve gasses causes many vomit up pieces of their own organs that had dissolved in their bodies as a result from contact with the gas.

After seeing this, and hearing information that Iraq has stockpiled these weapons and would possibly sell them to terrorists, the thought of letting that happen is ridiculous. Many of you think inspections should work. If twelve years hasn't showed you the failure of inspections I don't know what will.

Many claim "if we leave them alone, they will leave us alone!"

That was proven painfully wrong on Sept. 11, 2001.

We are a country at war with an enemy that will use all available means to attack us and kill innocent civilians. They care nothing for themselves or the people that they kill. The thought of sitting on our hands and letting any enemy pose a threat to our security is just plain stupid.

Many of you will go on and dismiss this letter after reading it, because you think peace is the only way. That is your right. A right the common Iraqi has not had since the Baath Party took control of that country. As you sit out there with your signs and protest something many of you fail to fully understand, remember those men and women who are fighting to keep you free from fear while you protest. Who are fighting to ensure what happened to families in Kuwait and northern Iraq doesn't happen to yours.

Instead of basically praying for the survival of the enemy, why don't you pray for those who are ensuring your basic right to breathe?

Pfc. Joseph Dacus is a sophomore history major from Dukedom. He is a member of the Army National Guard.