Bringing the war home to hometown America. Ex-Mayor pro tem killed.

[efhmc]

A person who was the mayor pro tem in 2001 in our town took a job with Kellogg Brown and Root in Iraq. He was shot and killed in Bagdad last Wednesday. The paper says that he was shot while his vehicle was escorted by military personnel. (Brown and Root is now a part of Halliburton.) The statement in the local right-wing rag by them (Halliburton)is a horrible piece of nonsensical, pseudo rah-rah double speak, patriotic, shallow nothingness. Here is some info from our paper that covered what happened: http://www.lampasasdispatchrecord.com/
I would like to know if his death has been noted and reported outside this regional area. I guess in the bush arena of death it does not really make any difference. "Oil is all. Oil is everything. Everything for oil."

[diplomats]

1. My local news just had a story on the speech

They showed a military guy saying the speech focused on the "positives" about we're bringing democracy to Iraq. Oh geez.

[efhmc]

4. Does democracy mean death? That's what I'm getting out of this

whole concept. What are the precentages of death per numbers of Americans and Iraqs and others in Iraq? I would like to see those figures.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

2. Yes. It was in LBN the other day.

I read it there. Can't recall whether it was reported in the LA Times or not.

[Bluzmann57]

3. Sympathies to the man and his family

A civilian who took a job to better his family's station in life shouldn't have to die for it. A casualty which isn't being reported? Fuck bush and his illegal war.

[efhmc]

5. Where are these numbers? Sure he took that chance and paid the

price, but for what and where are the people who are angry about this death and all the others? Do they know? Do they care? Are they too busy watching the latest realty tv program to care about what is happening to real human flesh and blood? Please, don't tell me. I think I know the answer and it makes me sick.

[E_Zapata]

6. I wonder what Halliburton pays the family of one of their fallen?

Bet it is a lot more than what an enlisted soldier's family gets.

In fact, I bet he had a million+ life insurance policy.

Sorry - but carpet baggars assume the risk!

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

7. Yep. War for profit .

[efhmc]

9. When I protested baby bush's appointment as pres., I knew that things

would be bad, but even I never knew how bad.

[efhmc]

8. I feel much more for the simple soldier than I do the employee of a

major campany because their lives are really on the line. So often that is all these young people (military) have of worth to offer to the consuming entity (in this case, the US of A). I guess this case hits home to me because it was a person I knew. (And a Dem.) Nothing like a personal contact to make things real.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

10. I guess the only response is that when they are in the military

and they are any good, they are going to get these offers for said companies when they get out. They are then under pressure to enter the workforce and then make a career out of it.

The only way to put ANY brakes on it is to cut government funding to these companies and return more to the American military.

[efhmc]

11. That is a really fine thought and idea but how do we make it work in an

America that values POWER and is paranoid. (Probably for good reason.)

[newyawker99]

12. Hi E_Zapata!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast: