Adam's blogbox: if you want our troops home now, email the White House

I've just sent the White House this email.

Dear Mr. President and Vice-President,
It’s not often that we Americans get to exercise our democratic rights -- once every four years, when we vote for the president, or the mayor, or when we vote for a member of Congress.

But now we can all do something about the biggest issue of the day: the fact that our troops are dying in Iraq.

We can let you know we want our troops out of Iraq immediately, by emailing the White House, which is what I’m doing now.

Consider this email a vote from an American citizen -- perhaps my most important vote ever. I represent a majority of the American people who want our boys and girls out of Iraq right now. In case you haven’t gotten the message from the American people, you’re getting one now. Expect many more.

I’m sending this message because I owe it to myself to exercise my democratic right and let my voice be heard. I owe it to my country, and I owe it to our troops.

In case you need a few good reasons besides the voice of the majority of Americans, here they are.

1. Our troops have done enough dying already. More than 2,300 of them are dead and lost forever to their families. Many more thousands have been wounded and rendered handicapped for life.

2. Our troops have done all they can to bring democracy to Iraq. The Iraqi people have voted for their representatives. Their representatives are putting a government together. Our work is done.

3. Our troops are not making us safer by being in Iraq. In fact, they are making the world more dangerous -- by breeding more terrorists. They're not confronting terrorism by being in Iraq; they're inspiring it.

4. Our troops cannot prevent civil war in Iraq. If the Iraqis want a civil war, they will have it. The presence of our troops won’t make a difference either way. Proof: our troops cannot prevent or control the current level of sectarian violence.

5. It’s not the job of our troops to rebuild Iraq. Let the Iraqis rebuild Iraq – they know how, and they can be held accountable by their own government. Our US contractors in Iraq are not being held accountable by anybody. We suspect they’re enriching themselves at the expense of US taxpayers and the Iraqi people.

6. Our troops cannot fulfill any obligation we have towards the Iraqi people by being there. It’s best for us to leave. If we have any obligations, we can settle them with financial aid to the Iraqi people, which will be way cheaper than the cost of keeping our troops there, and way more useful, too.

7. Our troops are not honoring those who’ve died in Iraq by staying there. All they’re doing in Iraq is dying. Please stop the death of good Americans by bringing our troops back home now.

Sincerely
(put your name here)
An American citizen

Click on comments@whitehouse.gov and vice_president@whitehouse.gov and paste this message into the body of the email. As the subject, paste “Bring our troops home now.” It’s time for you to let your voice be heard. Your country thanks you for exercising your democratic right. Please pass this message on to all your friends, so they can exercise their democratic rights, too.