GULF WATCH : A Thought for the Day

No shot has yet been fired, no body cut down by enemy fire, no gruesome body bags loaded for the return flight home. Still, the 240,000 American soldiers in the Persian Gulf right now are in harm’s way.

So before many of us here in America dive delightedly into fresh-cooked turkeys with all the trimmings--in the safety and comfort of our homes--it wouldn’t be a bad idea to pause for a moment to reflect on those who can’t be home this Thanksgiving--from the poor and lonely homeless wandering the streets here to American soldiers in Saudi Arabia.

Argue though Americans will about this potential war--what is the mission? has the President really explained it well?--there can be no argument about the sacrifice being made by the Americans there.

Argue though Americans will about the nature of the society we are defending--why are Saudi women so oppressed? why are we coming to the aid of a monarchy? There can be no quarrel that our servicemen and women deserve all our support. While all of them are trained to engage in combat if need be, most of them hope it never comes to that. It’s tough for a young person, just a few years out of high school, to be in a foreign land, away from family during the holidays--and having to face the ever-present threat of war.

We should be mindful of the servicemen and women who are celebrating Thanksgiving today by eating prepackaged turkey--and likely praying that the diplomats find an honorable but definitive way out of this mess in the Persian Gulf.