With the drumbeats pounding about
Assad used chemical weapons against his own people. And President
But now there are the drums and they have a way of driving questions from our heads.
Just weeks ago Trump was adamantly and publicly opposed to military involvement in the
They sing his praises.
"And you've got some
"And now they are confronted with the idea that they may agree with the decision that he made," Bevan said. "It will be interesting to see how this plays out."
Yes, but you're in this too, if you're an American, and it's time to ask yourself some questions. This isn't about right or wrong answers. But you have to ask.
Do it alone, quietly, while you look in the mirror and when no one will see. You might also want to think of a son, or a neighbor boy you've known for years. Then look yourself in the eye and ask:
What is the American national interest in removing Assad?
Will removing Assad make us any safer here in the
What would be the cost that you would pay, in American lives and American treasure, to accomplish this?
And, do you think toppling Assad is worth it, even if it means that the
Then what? How would war with
There is no perfect answer. But if you're a citizen, if you consider yourself an American, it's your duty to ask yourself, and answer. You also might ask another question:
If Assad is removed, what will happen to the remaining religious minorities, namely Christians, who've been slaughtered and driven out and hounded by many of the same Syrian rebels who would scream for joy if Assad was gone?
It is Holy Week, after all, isn't it? And the
As an Orthodox Christian, I've always wondered why the West doesn't seem to be worried about the Christians of the East.
Is it because there is no blue-eyed Jesus to be found on the road to
One thing we do know: When Middle Eastern dictators are toppled or killed, the Christians are slaughtered. When the Iraqi dictator was torn from power, Christians were killed, and many others ran in order to survive.
In
You didn't hear much about the Christians of the East after the missiles were dropped. Perhaps it's because they get in the way of agendas.
Republican Sens. Graham and McCain, who have long demanded robust American military force in
And what of
With Putin having sent warships to the area, it might be difficult for
But President Trump did the right thing. He was confronted with the slaughter and the use of gas and the murders of innocents and children. He acted.
If you're a parent, you may have had difficulty watching the video of those Syrian children trying to breathe, and the adults frantically washing them down with water in the desperate hopes that it would help.
No nation should be allowed the use of such weapons. Assad was warned repeatedly, and he mocked the perpetually indecisive
Obama was indecisive in
And then Obama did nothing.
The dry space of Obama's empty threat served as invitation to Putin and
But Trump is a different cat. The world knows it now. He's being pushed and the drums are pounding.
If you close your eyes tight and listen, you might hear echoes of other, older drumbeats of years ago. They called for the toppling of another dictator,
The sound is the same. The cost is the same. And all you have to ask yourself is this: Is it worth it?
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John Kass is a columnist for the Chicago Tribune who also hosts a radio show on WLS-AM.