Too many incidences of brutality have marred our military action in the Middle East, resulting in low world opinion about American involvement in the oil-rich nations.

Surveys find US popularity and respect slipping in the world, partly due to our engaging in the unending civil war in Iraq. It did not help that President Bush claimed the war was to find weapons of mass destruction that were never found or that many knew that it was really about the US military controlling a precious, yet ever dwindling resource: Middle Eastern oil. It also hurts the US image that our soldiers have been found guilty of torture. Among US military officers, 88 percent agree that the war in Iraq has stretched the our military dangerously thin. About 1,000 US soldiers die and 6,000 are wounded every year in Iraq. The war also costs the nation $100 billion every year, money which could well be spent on improving economic conditions within the country.

Teens have the lowest seatbelt usage. When a teen is driving with one teen passenger in the car, the risk of a fatal crash doubles; it triples when there are three or more teen passengers.

Each year over 5,000 teens aged 16 to 20 die due to fatal injuries caused in car accidents. About 400,000 drivers aged 16 to 20 are seriously injured. For each mile driven, teen drivers ages 16 to 19 are about four times more likely than other drivers to crash! According to studies, teen drivers tend to underestimate hazardous driving situations and are less able than older drivers to recognize dangerous situations. They also are much more likely to speed and to tailgate. About 25% of teen drivers in accidents were drunk, and 30% of teens admit to drunk driving. In addition, 75% of teens killed in auto crashes were not even wearing seat belts! Most teen auto accidents occur late at night and on weekends.