EDITORIAL

Honor veterans for preserving our freedoms.

   More than 2,000 American soldiers have died in Iraq since war began there in March of 2003. More than 15,000 have been wounded.
   These are difficult numbers to digest, especially when the rationale behind the war in which they are fighting has proved to be false, at best a mistake, at worst an outright lie.
   But the war continues and American soldiers will continue to do their duty, putting themselves in harm’s way for as long as our leaders in Washington — most of whom have never served in the armed forces — tell them to do so.
   It is no secret where we stand on the war. We were opposed to it from the beginning, continue to oppose it and believe that it is in our soldiers’ — and the nation’s — best interest to bring the troops home as quickly as possible.
   The chances of that, however, are slim. The Bush administration is committed to keeping American soldiers in Iraq, while the opposition Democrats only recently began to question his policies.
   Meanwhile, our soldiers remain in Iraq, where they face dangers that most of us can only imagine. That’s why we are asking everyone to take at least a moment on Friday, Veterans Day, to honor the sacrifices the 200,000 American soldiers are making every day in Iraq, Afghanistan (where 250 Americans have been killed and another nearly 650 wounded) and elsewhere and to remember the hundreds of thousands of Americans who have served in past wars and during peace time.
   Everyone who has ever donned a uniform deserves our gratitude for putting their lives on the line for the things we find important: democratic government, free speech and the freedom to worship the way we want.
   Take time Friday to remember and honor those veterans for what they have helped preserve, for the hardships they endured and the sacrifices they and their comrades made while fighting in America’s far too many wars. Remember those who lost their lives in battle and those who survived to live long lives.
   After all, it is us, the ones who have never served, who have reaped the greatest benefit from the commitment and sacrifices they have made.
   Veterans groups will gather at the Veterans Monument at the Municipal Building on Route 522 at 11 a.m. There will be speakers from the VFW 9111, American Legion Post 401 and members of the clergy and Mayor Frank Gambatese will say a few words. The high school band will provide patriotic music.