The American Civil War and the war in Iraq have something in common. Both lasted for four years. The biggest difference is that no one protested in such a manner as Americans do today. On March 21, war protesters assembled once again on College Avenue to mark the fourth year of the war in Iraq. I cannot understand why they would protest against the United States bringing democracy to a foreign nation. We enjoy a great amount of freedom every day because of our nation's military forces.

Trust me, I had the opportunity to see the war first-hand as an American soldier. The amount of American lives lost is minor when we compare it to prior wars that America has fought. The Civil War alone cost the United States more than 900,000 lives. World War II took more than 318,000 lives. These wars were never protested. In order to protest against a cause one should have first-hand experience.

Protesters get their information from the media and the Internet, not from personal experience. I have spoken to several protesters, and they have no family members in the military. However, they believe the war is wrong. In addition, they want to bring our troops home. They are only undermining the morale of the troops serving overseas. Maybe we need insurgents in the United States to make Americans realize the sacrifices our troops are making in the name of democracy.