By By KATHIE HEMPEL / Niles Daily Star
NILES – Should the troops in Iraq come home now? This is the question on the minds of many people as the war continues with more Americans in peril every day.
We took to the streets of Niles to discover local positions on the withdrawal of troops from Iraq. In answer to the question of whether or not we should withdraw our troops from Iraq now, area residents' responses have a similar range of opinion to a recent poll.
According to the Rossman Group, 58 percent of Michigan voters want American troops out of Iraq either immediately or within the next three to five years.
Those opting for the immediate withdrawal comprised 25 percent. Thirty-three percent want to begin withdrawal now, to be completed in two to three years. Twenty-three percent want a concrete plan for Iraq stability that will include withdrawal in three to five years and 13 percent state we are committed to military presence in Iraq for the long haul and are there to stay. Only 7 per cent claimed they were unsure or chose none of the other choices.
Jim Grubbs, owner of Property Services of Michiana and a Niles resident, wants to get the troops home now. He is concerned about the strong religious component to the conflict and our inability to understand that.
"The entire Middle East is in the midst of a religious war between the Sunni and Shiites. I don't believe we can bring stability to Iraq."
Wilfred Miller of Niles, who said he once wanted to join the military himself, believes "now we have started the war we have to finish it. They need to stay."
Many Niles and area residents have very strong opinions.
"We need to be there for the long haul, but don't send our good guys who are trying to get their college education and are out in the workforce over there," Larry Bybee of Niles said.
"Let some of those who have landed in jail or prison and are costing taxpayers $40,000 a year for their keep serve in the military. When I was a kid, you screwed up; you went into the army or into jail," Bybee added.
"We should have never went over there in the first place. They need to come home now," said Stephanie Waters, a young mom from Buchanan.
Phyllis Beehler, of Niles, with daughter Nedra Walkden, also of Niles, were staying dry and out of the downpour Thursday morning as they enjoyed a coffee and conversation in the Starbucks at Martin's.
"God is in charge of everything. When it is time for us to come or go, I believe we will know. We all need to continue to pray for our troops," Beehler said.
Walkden agreed with her mother adding, "God's time isn't always our time."
Don Graham of Galien said, "I'm not sure that an immediate withdrawal is the answer, perhaps, but I don't think we should stay for the long haul either. We need to train the people of Iraq to handle this themselves."
Ernie Martin knows the devastation of war first-hand. His son Brian was disabled in the Persian Gulf conflict. "We should never have been there in the first place. They all need to come home within the next year or year and a half. There are just too many diverse groups with separate interests for us to overcome."
Here, as in the rest of Michigan, there is no clear answer. One thing everyone agrees on is too many lives have been lost.