Stars & Stripes letters: Operation Iraqi Freedom is a worse massacre

[lebkuchen]

OIF is a worse massacre

...Why is it that the war is on the back burner compared to what’s happening on the home front? When I am not deployed I don’t just go through life forgetting that my fellow soldiers are still laying down their lives every day. I make it a point to read every soldier’s name that Stars and Stripes posts in the “U.S. death toll” column daily. I do it because it could have been me, and it could have been my battle buddy. You don’t have to know a fellow solider/airman/Marine to mourn the loss of their life.

The grief for the kids at Virginia Tech is hard because most of them had their whole lives ahead of them. The media was in a frenzy over it. We have our whole lives ahead of us, too. Where are the cameras?

There was no lack of support (for VT victims)

...What should really sadden the writer is the lack of support for the young men and women who are killed each day fighting for our country. Do you think the nine soldiers killed April 23 by a truck bomb will have the flag lowered to half-staff all over the country? Will Geraldo Rivera have a special one-hour talk show about them? Will their brutal and unfortunate deaths make the headlines in newspapers all over the country and have national media attention for weeks? No. Those soldiers will be lucky if they have a 15-second blurb on CNN.

The writer also stated that she hopes there will be more compassion in the military community. I must apologize that only some of my compassion rests with the 32 victims of Virginia Tech. The majority of my compassion rests with the more than 3,320 men and women who gave their lives for their country and their families.

http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=45361

[Dhalgren]

1. This country, as represented by the Bush administration, cannot

continue to grind the common soldier into the dust with impunity. There may not by an active revolt, but their will be a sit-down mutiny. More and more soldiers are refusing to go back to Iraq. More and more are going AWOL - either by just staying home or by going to Canada or some other friendly, sane country. Pretty soon the only ones who will be willing to go back into that meat-grinder will be the Christian-nuts and the skin-heads. If the Democrats in congress won't stand up for the troops now, and bring them home, then they are cowards and deserve to be voted from office - all of them...

[lebkuchen]

4. Dhalgren

Troops are being extended w/o media fanfare here in Germany beyond 3 months. The 3 month extension is a smoke screen; the 8 months to a year extension will eventually become the norm, for the "benefit" of the troops. Like the initial invasion and promise of a "cakewalk," the troops are the frog placed in water that is gradually warmed up in hopes that it won't notice.

Many of the troops ordered cars for an expected pickup date based on redeployment promises. With the 8 month extensions, many are saying, screw it, they don't want the car anymore, or will try for the next year's model. There are soldiers that have been in Iraq for nearly two years straight and can't get out.

The 1ID, in Iraq now, has already been told it will have another deployment to Iraq before the rest of the division is returned to the states. The 1AD, recently returned from Iraq, has been told it will also return, probably in 10 months, and then head to the US, where the infrastructure has yet to be prepared for them and their families.

It used to be that after a tour to Europe, soldiers would say, "It was great to be here, but now we're looking forward to returning to the states." 99% of them that friends and I come across are now saying they prefer to stay and live in Europe rather than PCS stateside, the country is that messed up.

[krispos42]

2. But but but...we've been focusing too much on the NEGATIVES

and not enough on the POSITIVES in Iraq! That treasonous LIBERAL MEDIA!!!!

Why is this soldier against Bush's policy of ignoring the negatives? Does he WANT to go to Gitmo? Why does he hate America? I hope it's your family members that die when terrorists strike!!!!!!!

:sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm:

This soldier makes many excellent points. Any answers, Bushie? Want to explain how it's okay that the corporate media can obsess over VaTech but not show the caskets coming home from Iraq?

[lebkuchen]

5. Here's an excerpt of a similar letter, written by an army dr. in Baghdad

I think you would appreciate it.

The horror of VT and Iraq

...I ask Americans, though, to remember the horror they feel today at this event, because it is what they should feel every time they hear or read about yet another group of young soldiers killed in Iraq. Although wartime death does not have the same shock value — we are told to “expect” some losses — it in no way changes the value of a life. The bright young men and women serving their country overseas should have their lives valued no less than those who stay at home to study.

Remember this, and ask political leaders to remember it. Hold them accountable for war. If, as a nation, we truly recalled the value of a life, then we would be more discriminating when it comes to choosing where to start a fight. The loss of young American lives at Virginia Tech has occurred one hundredfold to young volunteer American military in Iraq. When will this country and its leaders learn that war must always be a very last resort?

Dr. (Maj.) Dimitri Cassimatis
Baghdad International Airport

http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=45232

[Mandate My Ass]

3. The war is on the back burner because by any measure it's a disaster

The Bushies don't care any more for the dead students than they do the dead soldiers, but it was a nice distraction from all the mayhem and casualties in Iraq. :-(

[lebkuchen]

6. Laura Bush says nobody suffers more than she and her hubby do

Laura's "Marie Antoinette" moment, no doubt.

I was wondering where Laura has been lately. Looks like she's had reconstructive surgery. Must have been painful. I'm sure she suffered. A lot of soldiers can relate.



Video is here:

http://americablog.blogspot.com/2007/04/laura-bush-wants-you-to-know-that-when.html