The war in Iraq is one of the most important issues of the 2008 presidential election. On March 20, 2003, the United States invaded Iraq and defeated the regular Iraqi army. But since then, Iraqi insurgents have waged a guerilla-style war against occupying U.S. troops, and civil unrest has remained. The United States has averaged 140,000 troops in Iraq since the occupation began. The debate about the war includes other issues about the conflict, like terrorism, torture and America’s security.

Here are the facts: More than 4,000 Americans have died in Iraq, more than 29,000 have been injured and the U.S. government spends about $341 million a day on the war. No matter your personal stance on the war, it’s important to tune in to what each candidate thinks about it. The elected president will have the opportunity to make key policy decisions that affect America’s occupation in Iraq. So as you gather the facts and contemplate your own opinions, read on for the thoughtful responses about the war from some of your peers. Then weigh in on our discussion board.

Elizabeth Kirshner, 14:
Though I am generally not very well-informed when it comes to politics, I do have rather strong feelings about this controversial issue. No matter what the issues were when this war began, I think President Bush needs to look at the circumstances now. Personally, I think there are bigger issues to consider than “keeping his word.” Perhaps that decision was a better choice at the time, or maybe it was not wise to begin with. Either way, why should it matter whether a person was for or against it to start? What already happened cannot be changed, and as long as we realize the control that needs to be taken now, and do something, an individual’s original opinion can change freely.

The other major issue is the real objective in fighting this battle. America is now more on the offensive side than the defensive side, and the Middle East is not coming to our country with threats. If we are so concerned with our safety, why can’t we just improve our border security? The fatalities are an inevitable part of war, but if they are not necessary, what are these patriots fighting for? America’s money is also being spent on these unnecessary efforts, bringing us in debt to a country we are fighting, a choice that is harming our people and our economic status as a superpower. Despite any previous plans, when it comes to the war in Iraq, the gains do not outweigh the losses.

Caleb Sherman, 17:
Personally, I don’t have a strong view on the situation. I try not to worry about it too much; I am more focused on issues in Israel. I do support our troops, but I think we need to get out of there as soon as we can.

Rachel Leamon, 19:
I think the war in Iraq is an unjust war that has gone on for too long—and should have never been started in the first place. I don’t think we are in Iraq for the right reasons. Right now, I think the best thing is for the soldiers to come home to America. My town of Swampscott, Mass., is tiny, yet we lost two soldiers who graduated from my high school in one year. It’s devastating to experience loss, and in order to prevent more deaths, the soldiers must come home.

I think there used to be a lot more coverage on the war than there is now. I think media outlets believe that people are sick of hearing about the war and so they are reducing the amount of stories they tell about it. This is a bad thing since it may cause people to falsely assume that the situation in Iraq is improving. And of course the media is always biased. Certain stations are worse than others, but there are opinions about the war beneath all stories.

Alyssa Mandel, 16:
I think the war was unnecessary. Unfortunately, since the U.S. is there, we need to stay, but [we should] focus on moving Iraq to self-government. I am still against the war, but now I know we cannot pull out until we rebuild Iraq.

Jeff Rollman, 16:
I am probably one of the few JVibers who can affirmatively say, “I support the war.” Although the war hasn’t necessarily been handled as well as it [should have been], and we had flawed intelligence in 2003, I generally support it (both in Iraq and Afghanistan). I do not think we should be withdrawing from Iraq or Afghanistan. I know this is a big campaign issue, and I do not agree with those who think we should surrender. Unfortunately, we are kind of playing the cops between the sectarian battles, but I believe we are engaging them there to keep them away from American soil.

I am happy with the troop surge and I think Gen. David Petraeus, President Bush’s top commander in Iraq, is doing a good job at turning things around. While it is sad to see the loss of life for both the coalition forces and civilians, it is the sad reality of war.

I think media coverage can be both lacking and too much. It is very much lacking in the “good” that we are doing—rebuilding a sullen country and fighting terrorism. However, the media tends to overemphasize trivial statements and take too many things out of context. The media is extremely biased. I find it to be very proletariat and usually exceedingly liberal. I also find the media to be unpatriotic and supportive of policies that aren’t the best for our country.

I am a conservative and patriotic American who values Judaism, Israel and America very much. It is sad to see shortsighted people so against our country and our troops who defend our freedom. Compared to previous wars, this war pales by far in terms of casualties and cost. I think a victory in Iraq and Afghanistan is a victory for Israel. Withdrawing would leave the terrorists free to attack our soil, either in Israel or America.

Alanna Davis, 18:
The war has been poorly executed and I do not support it. At this point (we should not have been there this long, if at all), we should start withdrawing troops. There are bigger issues in the world and other places where we should be focusing our money and attention. I was never a fan of President Bush and I’m even less of a fan now. He’s trying to win the battle his daddy tried so hard to and was defeated.

Kate Sapirstein, 18:
In general, I think the war was a big mistake. The U.S. government initially said [we] went in to look for weapons of mass destruction, but it turns out there were none. So not only did the government lie to us, but it got us in a war that has killed many people, devastated the country and put the U.S. into a huge amount of debt for what I suspect was merely an attempt to gain oil. People say the U.S. had the right to depose of Saddam Hussein because he killed people, which is obviously bad, but it was not our place to get involved. We could have tried another tactic that was nonviolent if we were truly bothered by Hussein’s violent tendencies, such as putting economic pressure on Iraq through the U.N. Outside countries should only get involved if there is a true genocide occurring, which was not happening in Iraq. The U.S. should focus instead on the genocide in Darfur, where people are being slaughtered because of their ethnicity.

I think the media coverage is appropriate, but no amount of coverage will be able to accurately portray the horrors these soldiers have to go through to Americans who are separated by an ocean and who aren’t directly affected. I had no confidence in this administration in the beginning, and I have no confidence now. We all know the danger of history repeating itself, and the Iraq war is the Vietnam War all over again.

Chava Sneiderman, 14:
Frankly, I know next to nothing about the war in Iraq. It seems to be totally under cover in the media, or maybe no one is interested and that’s why there is so little coverage. I don’t think any teens know what’s going on with that war. It’s pretty sad; I mean, our soldiers are dying for it. From what I hear, this war is terrible for the economy.

Samantha Tuchfeld, 19:
When I was in high school, I thought the war would end like we were taught [wars do]: with a “winner,” a “loser” and a rough patch called a solution. As I continue to grow in college, I realize some wars may never end. The United States and other like countries that have a history of doing well and succeeding overseas also have a track record of war and militaristic goals.

There comes a time when you must ask why you are fighting. When you enter a war, you should know why and who you are fighting for. Because the “who” changes, the “why” will also be altered.

The war has left me clinging to my faith; it has not taken away my faith, but rather asked me to identify and search for it. I think of Anne Frank’s quote now and always: “Despite all that has happened, I still believe people are good at heart.”

Kali Foxman is Associate Editor at JVibe.