Standing to comment

Senator Kerry, in his bid for the presidency, has relied a great deal on his military service as justification for his fitness to serve in the Oval Office. Many who oppose the war in Iraq have criticized many of the proponents of the war for being willing to commit troops to the war, where some have died and more will follow, even though they themselves have not served in the military.

I myself have not served in the military. Well, that's not precisely true but that's a story for another time. Suffice to say that I don't consider myself to have served and most people would agree. So, given that, what standing do I have to support the commitment of troops, and the sacrifice that some will inevitably make, in the war in Iraq? Why should my opinion count for anything?

My answer to this is that I have the same standing as every other citizen who supported the wars that the United States has fought in the past, citizens who had never served in the military. The very fact of my citizenship gives me the right to opine about the foreign policy of the United States and the use of its military forces. This is not the world Heinlein described in Starship Troopers (and if you've only seen the movie, go read the book), where only those who have served in the military get to vote.

I would ask those people who have never served, who also oppose the war: What standing do you have to your opinion on whether or not we commit our military? If you deny my opinion any weight, you must also deny the same to your opinion. You can't have it both ways.