Mothers hold tightly to their children as bombs explode in the distance. A thick smoke lingers in the air as civilians flee the center of Baghdad for the suburbs.

Daniel writes in chapter 11:10, “His sons will prepare for war and assemble a great army, which will sweep on like an irresistible flood and carry the battle as far as his fortress.”

War has been an ongoing issue in the world since the beginning of human existence. From the battles of Biblical times to the present day war with Iraq, these struggles over authority, ultimate peace, and religion have been waged.

Views on war may vary widely among United States citizens, but when it comes down to it, many oppose the acts of innocent bloodshed and loss of thousands of lives. Even though the war will cause these events, many feel war will solve the problems with Iraq.

“Although many deaths will come about because of the war I think it is the best solution to the problems with Iraq,” Cassie Batsole, ’06, said. “Hopefully we will be able to rid their country of Sadaam Hussein and bring peace back to the Iraqi people.”

As many world leaders will declare, we are not after the innocent Iraqi people; it is Saddam Hussein who causes us to take action against their country.

As stated on www.msnbc.com, many Iraqi citizens do not agree with or support Hussein but are hesitant to put their destiny in the hands of a foreign power for fear of their own executions by Hussein and his followers.

Although these threats are great, President George Bush feels that by sending our troops into Iraqi territory we can offer a second chance to help these people in need.

“We stand for the permanent hopes of humanity, and those hopes will not be denied,” President Bush said in an address to the United Nations on March 6. “We’re confident, too, that history has an author who fills time and eternity with his purpose. We know that evil is real, but good will prevail against it. This is the teaching of many faiths, and in that assurance we gain strength for a long journey.”

Many support Bush in his beliefs of taking action in the form of this war. Although war appears to be controversial, supporters believe good will come from these events and the Iraqi people will benefit from a change in power.

“It sends a message to the world that America actually cares about other people’s interests and not just our own,” Thad Olsen, ’04, said. “It is a good idea to get Sadaam out of Iraq to eliminate problems for both the Iraqi and American people.”

As said by many broadcasting stations such as MSNBC, by eliminating Hussein, U.S. leaders hope to prevent an evil dictator from using nuclear, chemical, biological, or conventional weapons of mass destruction on neighboring countries or possibly his own population.

“It is our task ? the task of this generation ? to provide the response to aggression and terror,” Bush said. “We have no other choice, because there is no other peace.”

Although President Bush believes this war is the best solution to widespread problems of terrorism and has chosen to take action, many U.S. citizens are convinced that peace is the ultimate resolution.

Anti-war demonstrators in New York completely blocked New York’s Broadway for two blocks below 42nd Street, as hundreds of protesters gathered in Washington and several university campuses around the country.

When the journalism class was in New York City, they witnessed war protesters first hand on many of the cities main streets.

“It was really cool to witness this historical event in the making,” Ann Hierholzer, ’05, said. “Although I don’t agree with protesting the war, I can understand where these people are coming from and why they support peace.”

These supporters of peace often chant sayings such as, “You can bomb the world to pieces, but you can’t bomb it into peace.”

As stated on www.votenowar.com, several supporters of peace feel war will only lead to the deaths of many innocent people and waste money that could otherwise be used to create jobs and finance education, housing, healthcare and other vital human needs.

“History says when we go and try to instill new governments in other countries, it is not typically a success,” Christopher Haydock, ’03, said. “However once a decision is made there is no turning back. It is fine to disagree, but once our president makes a decision I don’t think we should second-guess him.”