No more war

As the Obama administration seeks Congressional approval for military intervention in Syria, a new poll reveals that a greater number of Americans agree that the United States should steer clear of the conflict.

According to the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, 48 percent of respondents oppose military airstrikes in the region, whereas 29 percent support the case for military action.

Secretary of State John Kerry has been on a mission to build support for a strike in light of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s alleged recent use of chemical weapons. Despite the partisan rancor that has dominated Washington during President Obama’s tenure, he already has the backing of several key Republican lawmakers, including House Speaker John Boehner and Majority Leader Eric Cantor.

Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi already supported the effort, and now another key Democrat, Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, is also on board.

These warmongers—the president included—claim the U.S. would employ a limited response that would halt Assad’s advances.

But the public isn’t buying it—at least not so far.

Americans from both sides of the political aisle, it seems, have learned something from our nation’s involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan over the last decade. If only our leaders at the nation’s capitol would reflect on the past 10 years. They should ask themselves how many unintended consequences have occurred in the wake of the wars there.

We must not enter into yet another military quagmire, and we must especially steer clear of arming rebel groups with ties to al-Qaida. The president should work with other nations to place tough sanctions on the Assad regime, not follow in the footsteps of his predecessor, George W. Bush. There’s a very real chance that intervention in Syria will backfire. We simply cannot take that chance.