Columnist calls for vigilance in the Syrian conflict

By Matt Patrick, columnist

We complain every day about the things that get in our way. We complain about traffic. We complain about poor service at a restaurant. However, we forget how trivial these things are relative to the real tyranny, oppression and evil happening throughout the world.

In Syria, thousands are being slaughtered at the hands of President Bashar al-Assad for speaking out against their government. The United States has sent weapons to the rebels and has denounced the Assad regime, after reports of chemical weapon use by the government on rebels and ordinary citizens.

The White House has been absolutely clear that if these reports are confirmed, than Syria has crossed what President Barack Obama calls the “red line.” This means the United States will begin taking a bigger role in helping the rebels bring the end of the Assad regime.

Many say that the United States should keep its mitts out of foreign affairs, but for this, an exception has to be made. We cannot stand idly by while countries commit acts of genocide on their people.

We have the power to do something, so something must be done.

I do not think that boots on the ground in Syria makes any sense whatsoever. That solution is costly in lives, money and politics. The United States can, however, use air and naval power to help turn the tide for the rebel cause.

In all of this though, we must be careful. This is a situation that requires supreme caution in executing a solution. It must be an international effort coordinated with the United Nations and other international agencies to help the world see that we stand in solidarity against genocide and violations of basic human rights.

If Assad’s regime falls and the rebels begin to create a government for themselves, the U.N. and other international powers need to be there and advise so that the situation does not end up worse than it was before.  Efforts to arm rebels in the Middle East to fight the Soviet Union occupation in the 1980s later backfired on the United States and its allies as we entered the 21^st century. Those rebels used the arms and munitions to carry out terrorism in the area and around the world.

I do not have the solution, and I don’t think there is a perfect one. This is why I urge young people to pay attention to this issue and see how it plays out. We need to learn from the way we handle issues now, to help deal with them better in the future.

Peaceful solutions are always the best, but sometimes, necessary and proper force must be used to stop genocide. I want the 21^st century to be free of genocide, and I know that it can be accomplished through diplomacy and calculated international effort.