Now, Let's Really Support the Troops

Half a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
"Forward, the Light Brigade!
"Charge for the guns!" he said:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
"Forward, the Light Brigade!"
Was there a man dismay'd?
Not tho' the soldier knew
Someone had blunder'd:
Their's not to make reply,
Their's not to reason why,
Their's but to do and die:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
The above is from Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s poem “The Charge of the Light Brigade”. I remember reading it as a young man and feeling so proud of the men who faced the cannons without hesitation. I remember thinking how could such inept leaders command such brave men. My admiration quickly turned into dismay as they were cut down one after another. Here we are today sending our own brave men into the valley of Iraq when it is clear that it is now time to talk to all parties as suggested by the Baker / Hamilton Iraq study group and to stop sending men into cannons and IED’s. Why does “support the troops,” mean that the troops have to be like the Light Brigade? It is time to be smart about Iraq. The war was over a long time ago; we won. It is now a failed occupation. Demand that we talk to all parties and move the troops out of the fire of the cannons. Just because our leaders blunder’d is no excuse for us to be complacent