For slain soldier's mom, Bush's book reopens old wounds

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by Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times

Jane Bright, who lives in Newbury Park and lost a son to the war in Iraq, doesn't intend to buy former President George W. Bush's new book. As much as possible, she has tuned out the hoopla over "Decision Points," for which Bush was paid a reported $7 million.

"I don't have words to describe how I feel when I see this man's face," said Bright. "I mean, he's responsible for my son's death."

Twenty-four-year-old Army Sgt. Evan Ashcraft was killed by a rocket-propelled grenade along with two other soldiers on July 24, 2003, while guarding an oil refinery.

But even though she has no interest in reading "Decision Points," in which Bush describes how he made critical decisions in his life — including the invasion of Iraq — Bright hasn't been able to avoid hearing about the book on the radio and elsewhere.

She knows Bush still defends the war, contends the world is a better place because of it, and says that although he regrets that weapons of mass destruction did not exist, intelligence at the time indicated that they did.

--snip--

For Bright, it's still preposterous that in response to the Sept. 11 attacks in the U.S., Bush beat the drums for war on the secular leader of a country that had no connection to 9/11. "Do you think the Iraqi people are thanking Bush for planting the seeds of democracy?" Bright asked me in her living room.

Yes, she agreed, Saddam was a tyrant, "But who's the bigger war criminal, Saddam Hussein or George Bush?"

Bright can't see it any other way. For her it was a war without justification, with no understanding of the complexities and no plan for the aftermath.

"From 2006 to 2009, every 36 hours, an active duty member committed suicide," said Bright, who honors her son's service and sacrifice by raising and donating money to non-government agencies helping vets with war-related disorders (www.evanashcraft.org).

Full article: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-1117-lopez-20101117,0,6930460.column

How ugly was Bush's smirk when reading this?

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1. Ah yes..."complexities". "No plan for the aftermath".

Thanks, LATimes, for another serving of that nonsensical candycorn. M-m.