Re: Mr. Hoffman’s questions, published in the Feb. 7 edition of The Citizen.

I read with interest yours and Tim Parker’s letters to the editor, and enjoy the bantering between you. But this time I have so many concerns on so many different levels with your letter, I had to write as well.

I’d like to respond by mentioning your comment, and then my response to each one:

You asked if we withdraw what will happen to: Sunnis in Shi’ite areas, Shi’ites in Sunni areas, helpless innocent women and children ...

I guess my answer has to be in the form of a question: What do you think would happen if we don’t withdraw?

It is estimated that there have been over 100,000 casualties in Iraq since our invasion, with 95 percent of those deaths caused by air strikes. Many have been women and children. There have also been reports of Sunnis and Shi’ites being misplaced, children no longer in school, people unable to go to work because their intermingling has become worsened by the invasion.

2. If we withdraw, who will benefit: First, refer to the answer to number one. I think that speaks for itself. And yes, of course the U.S. will benefit. We can stop the military casualties.

3. What message does it send terrorists if we withdraw? It shows them that we are intelligent enough to know we cannot stop a war that has been going on for centuries.

4. What change if not pulling out from Iraq? I say pull out! You say the only option is to increase the troops and try to secure stability. If 140,000 troops over a period of four years hasn’t accomplished that, why on earth would you think an additional 21,000 would? I think we should start a slow evacuation, maybe 20,000 per time, until all are back home.

5. You ask even if Bush did lie to get us in Iraq for the oil, etc., would that be a reason to leave Iraqis to a bloodbath and our national reputation in tatters? First, again, refer to answer Number 1. The bloodbath is already happening.

Our national reputation in tatters? Hello! Our national reputation is already in tatters. If you haven’t noticed, the world doesn’t like us very much. Start living in 2007. This isn’t 100 years ago when everyone wanted to live in America. The world looks at us with pretty low regard.

6. You ask does anyone think there will be peace with our withdrawal? No. But there hasn’t been actual peace in this area of the world in centuries. It has nothing to do with our withdrawal.

7. You say our withdrawal will cause tens of thousands of deaths. How? There have already been tens of thousands of deaths since our arrival. Explain how there will be even more if we’re not there. And, how suddenly these deaths will stop if we stay? There were two simultaneous bombings a few weeks ago. I believe there were 84 killed and many injured. We didn’t cause that, nor were we in a position to prevent it. This goes on continuously.

8. You claim Democrats say Bush lied, but voted for the war based on Bush’s findings. Have you thought of the fact that maybe Democrats were trying to back the president, then were able to admit they were wrong? Something we’ve all been trying to get Bush to admit to?

And last, you claim Democrats are unpatriotic. That just boggles my mind. Democrats are anti-war. They want to bring our troops home. They want them safe. To paraphrase a presidential quote: It is not only our right to question our President, but our duty as American citizens.

If it is our duty to question what the president and our government is doing, and we’re doing just that, how could that be unpatriotic?

Hatred for our country? Mr. Hoffman, how many more troops and Iraqi civilians have to die so that you and other Republicans can say we were victorious?

You, sir, are the unpatriotic person. Blindly supporting what 75 percent of this country have agreed is wrong, just so that you don’t have to admit being wrong yourself, is incomprehensible. You and all those that insist on standing behind Bush, while tens of thousands die should be ashamed of yourselves.

And, if you’d like to get a different perspective on some of the reasons we are in Iraq, purchase the DVD “Iraq For Sale.” It’s pretty enlightening.

There’s a new magnet out to put on our cars. Rather than a yellow ribbon that just says, “Support our troops,” it is a peace sign with a yellow ribbon inside of it and it says, “Support our troops — Bring them home now.”

That’s a lot more patriotic than the way you think.

Debbie McCann
Peachtree City, Ga.