For those young people who are sitting on the fence wondering whether to vote or not, try this alternative. Vote or fight. I promise you, you will be fighting a terrible war, a war our troops are now experiencing, a war against a people on their own soil. Who are they? They are a mix of former military members, criminal gangs, religious zealots and many, many angry Iraqis seeking revenge. They have lost family members, neighbors and friends. They have been looted, robbed, raped and kidnapped. A minority of them are from al-Qaida. This fluid collection of small groups and individuals is organizing as they attract more sympathizers willing to fight, building up into a popular anti-occupation movement. What would you do if the Europeans decided that in the interests of world peace they could not wait for elections, that they would arrive on our soil to remove President Bush, that they would then attempt to ‘educate’ Americans in proper democracy? What if in that process and in spite of good intentions, ill-educated soldiers, privateers and other mercenaries who spoke no English and had little oversight were allowed to terrorize the local populations? Even if they were a minority, just how much would it take to turn a rebellion into a full-scale war? We are mired in a misbegotten war, encouraged by a disgraceful media anxious to prove its patriotic credentials. If I were you, I would rather vote than regret being forced to fight in this deadly war.

A. Lamb-Sobh

graduate student