Join the forces for peace

To the editor:
    President Obama’s decision will increase the troop presence in Afghanistan to roughly 100,000 by 2010 with a total cost of over $1 billion to fight the war next year. This figure is only the beginning and the least of the total costs.  Personal costs are worse: costs of soldiers’ lives, both ours and theirs; life-long financial and emotional costs to families of physically and mentally wounded; life-long emotional and mental costs to disrupted families, both military and civilian. And we will live with the cultural costs for generations: effects on the U.S. economy of long-term debt to finance war and its collateral expenses; financial and other resources diverted from critical social problems such as education, health care, clean energy; terrible effects on our national ethical position about war.
    Obama is wrong in this decision. With his prestige around the world and his Nobel Peace Prize, he has a window of opportunity to influence warring parties everywhere to find more peaceful solutions to international conflict than this decision reflects. War always perpetuates and creates more problems and conflicts than it resolves.
    During this season of celebration for the coming of the Prince of Peace, please reflect on what that coming should mean for our national priorities. Please join the forces for peace and urge Congress to vote no more money for fighting war. Join with your local peace movement to make your personal voices heard.