Ok well one thing you have to understand is I was 3 bloody years old during the first Gulf War. I'm not sure how old you are, but my perspective is the one I prefer and the only one I got. And here's how I would break it all down.
I was 10 when Reagan was elected. I was 16 during the whole Iran-Contra affair. Hell I was 3 when Roe v Wade happened. But I was able to dig into the issues by doing research, reading difffering opinions, looking at the facts (even those that happened before I was born or when I was very young) and thereby form an opinion at least somewhat founded on knowledge.
There is a very long history behind the most recent military action in Iraq. It would do you well to read about it. You can get a synopsis from the link I posted from PBS. Actually a pretty good synopsis there. There is also this new google thing that lets you find all kinds of soures, from total wack jobs (Limbaugh, Moore, et al.) all the way to respected publications and everything in between. As long as you don't limit yourself to sources only support what you already think, you can make some real headway.
When Bush pushed us to invade Iraq I was originally in a quandry. I thought like you and others that he was just blowing smoke and using the opportunity presented by 9/11 to advance his personal agenda, whatever that may be. I started to become really interested in it all when my brother-in-law and a friend of mine were sent to Iraq (my BOL was in Tirkit when Saddam was captured...he had some cool stories). My friend was killed in action in Baghdad. This was one of the funerals that got me to join the Patriot Guard Riders. I stood as part of the honor guard at his funeral.
Anyway, I talked to my BOL and others about their thoughts on the war. I wanted to know what really went down so I started digging. I read a ton of stuff on it and thereby my opinion changed. I by no means attribute sainthood to Bush, I think he was a mediocre president at best, but I could see that the issues in Iraq did not by a long shot originate with him, nor did they sprout out of 9/11. He was actually continuing on resolutions that were in effect from the first gulff war and from operations desert fox that Clinton carried out. There is a long history there and learning about it changed my view on the whole thing. It certainly didn't mean I thought he handled it all perfectly either, in fact they made many big mistakes that cost in terms of lives and money. But I believe the media played what they wanted to and spun what was really happening and why we were really there, clouding the issues and the facts. For one thing, Bush never lied. He was wrong, but that is a far cry from lying. And it goes on.
But this doesn't mean it will change your view, it just did mine. But at least I went to find out rather than just saying "hey I was a kid, and so I believe what the media tells me". Time to grow up, make up your own mind.
And if you still come to the same conclusion you have now, great, I support that 100%. But at least then we have something to discuss.
