What Bush Hath Wrought (A Young Marine's Story)

[theHandpuppet]

This article appeared in today's edition of the Cincinnati Enquirer. http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060319/EDIT03/603190306

Salute to a Marine
A story of how Christopher Dyer's death in Iraq changed many lives

As of Friday afternoon, 2,314 American troops had died in the Iraq war. As the war approaches its third anniversary Monday, the U.S. death toll approaches the lives lost in 9/11. Cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has surpassed $400 billion.

But for thousands of American families, the war has come at a far more private and painful cost.

The family and friends of Christopher Dyer, a 19-year-old Marine reservist killed Aug. 3, 2005, feel that pain - both in what once was and now is lost, and also in what will never be.

They mourn the clever, restless youth-becoming-man who did not return with his battalion in January.

They mourn the Ohio State University honors program Chris did not enter, the pilot's license he will not earn, even the backyard barbecue to celebrate his return - flush with the salmon and metts he hungrily requested - that did not happen.

"I'll be stateside and prolly won't get to see you until late late sept or early oct," he wrote in his last e-mail to his father, John Dyer, in July.

Less than two weeks later, he and 13 other Marines were killed in the war's deadliest roadside bombing....

MORE

[salin]

1. Another young person with potential

sacrificed for bush's policy. RIP young man - and peace be with those whose lives you touched.

[acmejack]

2. 2,314 bright young lives brimming with potential snuffed

would that we trade worthless george for them. or his bunch of neocons who thought this bit of adventurism would be such grand heroism. Damn every one of those warmongering SOBs to hell.

[theHandpuppet]

8. But...but... our Prezident says we need to fight and sacrifice!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/20...

Bush: 'Fighting and Sacrifice' Needed

By Guy Gugliotta
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, March 18, 2006; 3:36 PM

On the eve of the third anniversary of the Iraq invasion, President Bush today promised to "finish the mission" with total victory, urging the American public to remain steadfast but offering no indication when victory might be achieved.

"More fighting and sacrifice will be required," Bush said in his weekly radio address. "For some, the temptation to retreat and abandon our commitments is strong. Yet there is no peace, there's no honor and there's no security in retreat. So America will not abandon Iraq to the terrorists who want to attack us again."

MORE...

Of course, the fighting and sacrifices will not be made by the Bush family, nor the Cheneys, nor the children of the PNAC warmongers, nor the families of the "have mores" and corporate whoremongers that Bush calls his base.

You want "fighting and sacrifice", you asshat? Jenna and Babs ought to be the first ones to the recruiting office. Or how about your idiot nephew Pierce, or a few of Jeb's kids? Lead by example.

[zulchzulu]

3. What's worse is a LTTE with a Bush bot blindingly believing the lies

On the same page as this tragic story, a Letter to the Editor goes like this in a classic delusional Hannityesque, Rush-inflated diatribe complete with assuming we continue the madness if only not to embarrass the precious Repuglican Party:

U.S. can't afford to lose this war to naysayers

Regarding "War not worth it, 60% say in poll" (March 17): The CNN/USA Today poll showing 60 percent of Americans now believe the war in Iraq was not worth it should come as encouraging news to at least two groups: The anti-Bush crowd who want control of Congress back; and al-Qaida who want control of Iraq as a base for continuing jihad.

What's next? A U.S. defeat vindicates Bush's opponents and leads to a sweeping Democratic victory in the congressional elections. Leftists around the world rejoice at the humiliation of the United States. The radical Islamic movement is emboldened at their relatively quick, easy victory over the great Satan. Recruits flock to volunteer for future "operations" against the infidels (Western civilization). I'll bet Osama bin Laden and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi are already planning the al-Qaida World Headquarters in Baghdad, with the help of some Iranian architect.

William Bissinger
Anderson Township

I hope this idiot has someone in his family over there...

[0007]

4. This letter sounds like it came from the Propaganda Department

of the Pentagon.

[genie_weenie]

6. In that LTTE just replace Al-Qaida and Islamic

with Soviet and Communist and you have everyone's opinion from Korea to Vietnam.

[zulchzulu]

9. Upon revisiting this LTTE, when does "victory" come in Iraq?

Obviously, the man is scared at the prospect of Bush getting his ass kicked in the 2006 elections.

What he fails to see is that the plan to win the hearts and mnds of the Iraqi people was completely ignored before the war plans were drawn up and the attack was begun.

He also forgets that his precious KIng said he doesn't care about Osama anymore...oh, that was a few dozen flip-flops ago...

We've let the genie out of the bottle by making Iraq (which was defanged and not a threat) headless and open to the centuries-old battle between the many factions from Mesopotamia against the Persian forces. And we are stuck in the middle.

What is "victory"? Is it a miraculous event where everybody just lays down their arms and suddenly pull out the candy and flowers they were supposed to greet us with in the first place?

[Minnesota Libra]

5. This is what makes my blood boil - the young people being killed for......

.....what??? The boy king wanting to take out Saddam and be a "war President" and finish what daddy left undone??:grr: For that a whole generation of young people must die.:cry: This WH squatting jerk doesn't deserve censure, he doesn't deserve impeachment (that's for stained blue dresses), this jerk deserves death.:nuke:

[Rodger Dodger]

7. Shame on Busch and all those who blindly follow

G.W. has shown the voters of this great country the degree conservatives will go to fill their pockets with riches wrought by war.

Greed is not good nor is smaller government.

When there aren't enough people in our government to serve the people:which is why this government was formed. Shame on conservative who've bought into the flawed conservative dogma.

It's time to strike back and not be too polite to speak out against anyone championing the conservative cause.