To the editor:

In recent months, a concerning trend in public opinion toward what we should do in Iraq has developed. “Leave!” It’s what I hear on the news, in public opinion polls and on the street.

It may be time for change, but “leave”? I think not! I’m not saying stay until the insurgency has subsided, for as long as we stay, the insurgents will fight; however, I am saying we need to stay until there is a legitimate and well-trained military and police force in Iraq. If we do not do this, countless human lives will be lost.

I know my opinion is the minority, but human life lost is human life lost. The death of a few thousand American soldiers is tragic, but it is no more tragic than the same quantity of Iraqis dying. We already made the mistake of using force to change the government in Iraq; let’s not make another mistake that leads to the possible deaths of countless humans.

Norman Decelles,

Lawrence