Are We Too Critical of U.S. Government Policies?

I may raise a lot of ire by putting my thoughts in print regarding our U.S. Government policies, and the media's reporting of these policies and their effects, especially with respect to the war on terror. I am not saying that I necessarily agree with the war in Iraq. War is terrible, but the world has never ceased to be in conflict since the beginning of time. What I want to discuss is the generally narrow view that many people have about our government's war on terror.

Being in the midst of the attack on the World Trade Center, I realized very quickly that our lives were to change dramatically. Not only did our sense of safety and security drastically alter, and in fact, disappear, but we, as a country, would have to change the we operated as a nation and within the larger world body. I think most of us expected a counter-attack, and weren't surprised when our troops attacked Afghanistan. The next step of going into Iraq was met with much more skepticism, and I understand that. What I do find annoying is that the media continually focuses on the negative, without giving voice to the positive steps taken in the war on terror, and in Iraq itself. We always hear what still needs improvement, the things we may have missed, and the constant civil conflict in Iraq. These are important things to hear, and our expressing these facts is an example of our freedom of speech. However, we are not hearing enough about the successes, both in the U.S. and abroad. Many things are in place to ensure our safety, or at least attempt to ensure our safety. Nothing can be foolproof because we have an open society, but for the most part, our local and federal governments are working hard at this.