An open letter to Mari333

[Bucky]

In another thread, Mari333 from Michigan related how fighting over the war is tearing her family apart. Her story touched me in a way much of our bickering here of late has not. Her story reminds me of what we're all doing here in opposing this war and I want to pass my thoughts on to all of you.

(Mari, if you're reading this, please excuse my familiarity and may God bless you through your efforts and trials)

Dear Mari,

Thank you for sharing your story and that disturbing picture with me here on DU.
(full sized picture here)

It can't be easy going through all you're dealing with right now. I'm sure it must suck hugely to not only have to worry about your step son overseas, but also deal with a lack of support and even back biting within your family. Your boy doesn't deserve to be put in harm's way for no good reason and you don't deserve to have to fight your own personal civil war within your family.

It seems, from safely behind my computer keyboard, that this Iraq conflict is all just ideas at war--should we fight? do we belong there? should we try and create an empire for oil? how many civilian casualties can we prevent? how soon can the madness stop? how many "numbers" will die? how many future terrorists are we creating?

Thank you for reminding me that, for you and for millions of other people personally connected to this fight, all of this is deeply personal. I'd forgotten about the horrible picture of the little girl who's foot was blown off in the initial fighting, although the picture touched me deeply when I first saw it months ago. I read then that the man holding her is her grandfather. Perhaps her father died in the last war or was off in the service or was dead from all the years of sanctions we've loaded onto her country. I read somewhere that she died after this picture was taken, although I may have this confused with another victim.

They all have names, but I can't possibly know them all. There are so many dead. I cannot remember all the horrors I've heard of and much of me needs to depersonalize all the terrible things that are going on in the world in my name, with my tax dollars, under my flag. I have the luxury of opposing it in the abstract, but I need to be reminded that it is not really an abstraction being shot at and blown up every day in Iraq.

For me, so far, this war hasn't gotten personal... yet. I teach high school kids who'll be the prime targets for a draft should the next war turn out to be not so easy as the Iraq walkover and they need new teenagers to recruit. It would kill a big piece of me to watch them march off for another damned mistake. We must end this madness. I believe we can if we pull together.

But we who oppose the war must pull together. Lately we have gone at each other tooth and nail over which of our possible candidates can best bring the madness to an end. You have reminded me that our purpose is one, that our cause is personal, that our nominee will be my personal leader for the next four years. I will vote for my guy, but I will serve whoever the majority picks. None of my ego, wounded from losing the primary fight, will keep me from supporting an end to the Bush administration.

Mari, your step son is counting on me to do my duty for America. I will not fail.

On a personal level, I sincerely hope your family does come to heal and learn to forgive one another. When the idiocy is over with and the killing stops, our American family will need to heal too. I hope your family will someday soon serve as the model for all our reconciliation, forgiveness and atonement. Until that day, please know that, although we argue Clarkies vs Deanies vs Koochies vs everyone else, we are still a big family at DU. Our hearts go out to you and to all who suffer for the cause of our liberty.

Sincerely,

Bucky
Houston, TX

[La_Serpiente]

1. sorry bout that

I don't think the mods would really care. It is just somewhat ambiguious.

On top of that, yes, Mari, I hope you overcome whatever obstacles you face.

Also, I hope we have all learned something new tonight.

[Hogarth]

3. Good Lord, Bucky ...

... that was quite a post ... very prosaic and eloquent. Speaking as the step-son's (my son's) father, I appreciate the words and the time you took to write them.

Michael's almost worried out of his skin, and I always feel helpless to help, except to support him verbally and buy an occasional French Silk pie.

God, I wish he wern't facing this. He, at 21, shouldn't have to be talking about things like assigning "power of attorney," and living wills.

This administrative soap opera is honking me off, and I'm getting tired of having wet eyes and a runny nose.

Best to all--

[La_Serpiente]

4. I think there is something to be learned here tonight

There is a large subsection in American society that do not realize the impact of war. I know personally the results of war because I saw what happened to my uncle after he came back from Vietnam.

This was was a war of choice. Who made that choice? Was it the American people? No. There are no Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq. Who deceived the American people?

There are those people in the PNAC cabal who can sit back in there lofty chairs at the AEI or Hudson Instiute earning fat cat salaries while other people fight for their ideas.

What can we learn from this war? I have learned that it is important that we must work from the premise that peace is a possiblity in the world. We must work from that premise or else we will live in a never ending, perpetual war.

It is time to impose justice on those who deceived us. Although Bush may not be impeached, he can be stopped next year with our votes at the ballot box. And let us not just win in that election - let us send all those that supported him a message that they will not take our sons and daughters lives for granted. The loss of an election is one thing. To learn and understand why you lost the election Mr. Bush is what you deserve.

So I sincerely hope that not just your family - but all the other families that are suffering out there - can voice their anger and frustration at those that have stolen your cherised loved ones. These families need righteous justice.

[Mari333]

6. What my husband says is all true

It is tearing our family apart. I dont know how much more we can take.
Thank you for the kind words Bucky.

[Liberal Veteran]

2. Hear, hear!

I couldn't have said it better.

[maddezmom]

5. wise words..thanks

:kick:

[nini]

7. Excellent post

it's certainly not the children of well to do in this country that are paying the price.

Until you know someone over there you can't really understand the fear and despair. It makes it a million times worse when you know it's not justified.