Getting Political

Where I come from:

Since I was first introduced to the violence in Syria I have called for intervention. I raised the question to my friends who disagreed, “how many people need to die before America steps in?” I told anyone who felt strongly against intervention that, “The survivors will always remember that we did nothing.” These are common points made to sway the hearts of men and women, and say that the immediate tactical situation is less important than humane ideals.

Where America comes from:

Where does America’s legitimacy to intervene originate? Some answers include from international law and norms, or by the request of many Syrians. But legitimacy starts at home. If we were a monarchy, no such legitimacy could exist for an unrepresentative authoritarian to put people in the armed services. America’s legitimacy comes from it’s republicanism.

What needs to be done:

President Barack Obama should very quickly work with Congress to put forward a reasonable war-making declaration. Any actions taken out of a desire to support high ideals needs to be done through the committed process of our nation’s founding ideals.

And this has to do with language?

The representatives of our government talk about our ideals and principles a lot. There are many to talk about, to recall in times of stress, and to use as rallying calls for a great output of American skill, knowledge, and execution. Our engagement to prevent further mass exterminations, or horrific lack thereof, will reshape the landscape of our vocabulary. It should.