As the two major parties in America throw their own quadrennial parties over these next two weeks, there are thousands of U.S. men and women overseas in Afghanistan fighting an endless war that, to my mind, has no purpose.
Can someone please explain to me why we are still in Afghanistan?
We have decimated Al-Qaeda, taken out its evil leader Osama Bin Laden, and liberated Iraq from its one-time murderous leader, Saddam Hussein.
Speculation continues on Iran's nuclear program, Syria is engaged in a very long Civil War, unrest brews in Egypt, Lebanon and other countries in the Middle East.
But each day, each week, we numbingly count the rising death toll of Americans in Afghanistan. 1998-1999-2000...oh, look, we just hit another milestone, the press informs us.
And yet there are no anti-war protests in our streets.
No marches on Washington.
No cries to end the madness, as we had in the 1960s over Vietnam, another endless war which left too many Americans dead, maimed and scarred for life.
Why is Barack Obama, who made his political career on his opposition to another needless war -- the one in Iraq -- still clinging to a failed policy?
As the parties debate Medicare funding, Obamacare's rights and wrongs and an economy that is stuck in the mud, why is no one in Tampa or Charlotte speaking up for our armed forces in Afghanistan who are fighting and dying for no good reason?
Where is John Kerry's outrage? Why won't he speak for the last man in an endless war like he did a generation ago?
Perhaps it's because we have an all-volunteer army and the sons and daughters of rich men like Kerry don't go to war anymore.
Let's start drafting the sons and daughters of Congressmembers and members of the Executive branch.
Then see how long we stay in Afghanistan.
College students return to campus this week. Let's hope they are not too consumed with their perilous job prospects in the future to engage in some old-fashioned protests.
Because one day, they too may find their best option is the military and some mindless president will let them languish in a war with no end.
President Obama, Mitt Romney: tell us when you'll bring our troops home.
We have lost too many good Americans in a war that we cannot win and which has no clear mission.
Tom Allon is the father of three children and the Liberal-backed candidate for Mayor of New York City.
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