The Second Gulf War has begun in Iraq. Missiles have been fired at buildings around Baghdad. Thousands of military forces are moving through the country, ready to utilize force if threatened by non-surrendering Iraqi military.

After the deadline passed on Wednesday March 19 at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Saddam Hussein and Co., including his sons, refused to leave the country and it didn't take long for Coalition forces to begin attacking. Despite a flurry of criticism from mainly anti-war demonstrators and some international governments, U.S. President George W. Bush made a tough decision and declared war.

Without rambling on, you should be aware what's happening in Iraq from the around-the-clock coverage on news channels, some radio stations (especially from National Public Radio and other noncommercial stations), and the World Wide Web. Ever since Wednesday night, the national terror alert has risen and, I believe, everyone's on edge, some more than others.

So many events have led to this-from disputes within the United Nations over passing resolutions to Secretary of State Colin Powell's evidence of linking Iraq to Al-Qaeda (which some have speculated there's no connection) to increased security measures around many cities, especially Washington, D.C. and New York City. Even this Sunday's Academy Awards are affected, as is the economy and other aspects of everyday lives. Who would have imagined this three years ago when the twenty-first century began?

As I have mentioned, anxiety is moving rampant among people, regarding the possibility of retaliation from sleeper terrorist cells and Al-Qaeda sympathizers and the uncertain time frame of the war. As for myself, I'm not even sure of what will happen. All I know is that war is definitely hellish and it does have casualties, as well as an outcome. There have been divided opinions about the conflict in Iraq. In my opinion, those who dissent have that right to do so, as do the supporters. The same can be applied to the boycotts, the backlash, and the criticism both coming from and about political officials and their nations. After all, that's what democracy is. However, from the news stories of former Iraqis recalling the horror they encountered living under the reign of Saddam Hussein, it does explain why there needs to be a change in Iraq.

My own views are somewhere in the middle. I wanted the UN to do its job, but there was so much disarray in the organization that President Bush had to form a joint alliance with England and Spain, among other nations, to attack Iraq. I'm neither pro- nor anti- war; I am 100% pro-democracy. I just hope that this is the absolute right thing to do, regardless of what conspiracy theorists believe is just "a war for oil or Americanizing the Middle East."

I'll admit that I don't know everything about what's occurring. I try to keep updated on the ever-changing news from watching cable news or listening to NPR, but not to the point of overdoing it. As the conflict in Iraq continues, so does life, but at a different level. Everyone is watchful of complete strangers passing by them in public places. All may be vigilant, but there is some, if not abundant, amount of tension. I feel like this, but make an effort to remain optimistic.

The online community is just like the offline world: a mixture of diversity and an open forum for views. This has more equality and comfort than reality, but it doesn't fully substitute for the real thing. I firmly believe that we all can increase and encourage that harmony here and transmit them into our daily lives. Thus, we can adjust to the uncertainty and forego the pessimism. That's what I strongly believe. #