The U.S. troops fighting in Iraq have publicly gained the attention and support of the state Legislature, but Americans should be thinking of the soldiers who are protecting our nation without the push of lawmakers.

A senator and representative introduced resolutions in their respective houses which supported Michigan troops in the war and operations in Iraq. The House bill passed unanimously while the Senate bill came in at 26-11.

While President Bush is being criticized by many people for his decision to go to war without the support of the United Nations, the resolution gives backing to the president's decision to attack Iraq as well as the support of the U.S. troops.

Holding office should not be a prerequisite for Americans to show support of the men and women who are in Iraq serving in the U.S. military. We should all be concerned for the well-being and safety of the troops to show support whether we support the decisions of war or not.

The legislators who voted on this resolution had good intentions to show support but the actual amount of time spent passing it seems to be a waste of time leaving us confused about what the measure actually accomplished.

There seem to be items within the state of Michigan that hold higher precedence than publicly showing this support. We are concerned whether the politicians were public about this action to make themselves appear more concerned in an area where they have little say or control.

It is not the duty of state legislators to focus on what is going on abroad but instead to focus on the events within the state.

The time spent on this resolution could have instead been used by the legislators to encourage their constituents to continually show support for those fighting in Iraq.

Apart from signing a piece of paper, the members of the House could have tied a ribbon of remembrance around a tree to show their silent support outside of the public eye.