Letter: Read on to find best way to end the Iraq war

Sunday, March 18, 2007 | 7:25 a.m.

I was startled by Trudy Carlson's March 12 letter to the Las Vegas Sun suggesting that the U.S. bolster our volunteer troops in Iraq by sending gang members to war.

First, I wonder what will make the gang members change their activities once they are in Iraq? Doesn't it seem logical that they will simply join the insurgency and keep doing their business just as they do here? They are, after all, criminals. Wouldn't they just become another headache for our troops?

Second, put yourself in the shoes of the typical Iraqi citizen trying to go about a normal daily life. With all the destruction and mayhem already going on, why should they be subjected to the lowest form of criminal we have to offer? Haven't we done enough to degrade their lives by now? Isn't that what is called piling on?

To deal with our gangs and with Iraq's gangs I believe we need to reduce the economic distance between those who have and those who have not, and increase funding for education. If people have an economic opportunity to live a good life through legitimate means, they are less likely to become fodder for recruitment by unscrupulous gang leaders.

It has been said before but is worth saying again: to increase support for our troops, the members of the White House and Congress who supported the war should either step forward and agree to serve in Iraq or put forward a family member or a close friend who would be willing to serve in their stead. While this would add only minimally to the number of troops, I believe it would be the quickest way to end the war and the best defense against future wars of choice.

Charles Parrish, Las Vegas