"Washington Times reports U.S. government lack of support for War in Iraq. Without "National Shared Sacrifice" beginning with OUR government in Washington - OUR TROOPS MISSION IN IRAQ IS COMPLETE!"
Bobby, in reply, this letter I published last year."
John Youmans
It is reprinted here with Brother Youmans permission, because it is too meaningful to be hidden in a small commentary space below my last post.
It is natural for parents to protect their children. However, we see or hear in the media almost on a daily basis where children of others have been killed, disabled, hurt, or abused. The parents reading this frequently think, "I'm glad it's not my child."
Imagine how you would feel if it was your child. Imagine the terrible trauma, heartache and pain if you were told your child was dead, disabled for life, badly hurt or abused. It is also only natural then to ask, "Why my child?"
There is a profound statement being made in both of the above cases; the loss is much easier to accept as long as it is someone else's loss. The closer we are to the loss, the more difficult it is to accept. Conversely, the further we are from it, the easier it is.
Out Of sight, Out Of Mind Unfortunately, the same theme runs true in relation to the number of our children being killed in
Iraq. If it is not our children, our brothers and sisters, our parents being killed in Iraq, it is somehow more acceptable. The further removed we are, the longer it continues, the more acceptable it becomes to accept the horrific loss.
That is why we do not see the more than 1,600dead soldiers (as of July 2005) retuning from Iraq and Afghanistan. That is why we do not see the more than 40,000 wounded and disabled soldiers. Out of sight, out of mind.
To those who have suffered losses in the Iraq war and said, "Why my child?" the truth is nightmarish! Arms and legs cut off. Eyes put out. Flesh burned. Intestines ripped out. Backs broken. Skulls crushed. Lives lost. Families torn apart. Homes destroyed. Children left without parents. Parents never able to see their children again. Wives without husbands. Husbands without wives. Souls snuffed into eternity. Emotional scars that never heal. However, most of us are far removed from the pain. These are the realities of war.
No National Sacrifice It appears the only people sacrificing for the war are the patriotic soldiers and their families who are fighting it. The rest of the country is immune. While many wave American flags and stick
Support The Troops logos on their cars to show their patriotism, they don't really sacrifice. As the affluent enjoy massive tax breaks during this very expensive war and as corporate America reaches record profit levels, disabled veterans are being told the country cannot afford to provide adequate VA
healthcare and other benefits. In public,
this administration waves the flag but behind closed doors, they continue to fight the war on the cheap when it comes to directly supporting the troops. Why Are We Still Fighting? There is absolutely no doubt about the patriotism, sacrifice, and dedication of our military. They have performed admirably. That is expected. Like it or not, they are following orders.
However, are they defending our nation? After 9/11, many young men and women ran to join the military to fight
Al Qaeda and destroy those who attacked our country. It was very similar to our reaction following the attack on Pearl Harbor.
However, for all practical purposes, the military war in Afghanistan is over.
The Iraq war is a much different story. There were no weapons of mass destruction and Saddam Hussein was not preparing to drop a nuclear weapon on our soil.
There were no threats of mushroom clouds. Saddam Hussein was not conspiring with Bin Laden on 9/11. Nevertheless, Iraq is where more than 1,600 soldiers have died and more than 40,000 have been disabled or wounded. The majority of citizens are unaffected and making no sacrifice while others make record profits hand-over-fist.
Volunteers Decreasing We are running out of warriors. They, as well as their equipment,
are worn out.
Stop loss - a back door draft
still prevents soldiers from leaving the military service when their enlistments are up and many are
forced to serve two or more tours of duty fighting in Iraq.
So much for voluntary service, and they legally cannot speak out against their Commander-In-Chief. Recent reports indicate that growing opposition to the Iraq war, as well as fear of death or injury for a questionable cause, are beginning to have a serious effect on recruitment. Where are all those patriotic flag wavers that say they support the war now?
Why are not they lining up to fight and die in this never-ending war? Even if Iraq does settle down in a five or ten years, odds are, there will be more wars to follow. Odds are those who do not have to participate or sacrifice are already planning them. Taking on the job of bringing democracy and freedom to the entire world is an interminable commitment.
George Bush said on Feb.2,
(2005) during the State of the Union Address, "The attack on freedom in our world has reaffirmed our confidence in freedom's power to change the world. We are all part of a great venture: To extend the promise of freedom in our country, to renew the values that sustain our liberty, and to spread the peace that freedom brings."
Solution To This War The surest way to extinguish the bloodlust of this administration is to
initiate the draft. We need to insist those who are sending our young to fight and die, and those near to them, also get involved in the fighting.
Share the sacrifice.
If there is a draft to supplement our voluntary force that will be needed to conquer and dominate all these evildoers throughout the world, there will be uprisings and public demonstrations this country has not seen since Vietnam.
All the people who now say they support the war will reconsider when it hits home. Until then, or until the American people wake up to the fact that
war profiteers are merely manipulating and using them, our military personnel will continue to be used, not as defenders of America, but as expendable commodities in the relentless pursuit by internationalists to establish a global economy.
Moreover, they openly admit it. On May 15, Condoleezza Rice said, "We are so grateful that there are Americans willing to sacrifice so the Middle East will be whole, and free and democratic and at peace."
That is much different that what was told to those making the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq when they were sent to be killed. I am sure no one Condi Rice knows gave up his or her life in Iraq.
Unlike previous wars, the "need to serve" in this highly unpopular war is not shared by our present administration or those getting rich off it. Mothers across this country need to stand up and shout,
"Not my child”. Parents need to recall a famous Willie Nelson song about cowboys: MamaDon’t Let Your Babies Grow up To Be Soldiers.
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END OF ARTICLE--------------------
John wrote that article on July 24, 2005. Not meaning to offend anyone on the fanatical religious right, but Brother John Youmans message way back in July was like the biblical voice crying in the wilderness.
Many of the things John talks about have happened as my last post from the Washington Times confirms. It does not take a journalist to figure out that what my Brother John Youmans said more than a year ago was just as
TRUE then as it is
NOW. Bobby “Indy Thinker” Hanafin
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
John F. Youmans is a retired USAF major and a decorated disabled Vietnam Veteran who served at Bien Hoa AB from 1966-1967. Mr. Youmans served 30 years in the USAF. Since his military retirement in 1993, Mr. Youmans has become a well-published journalist and a reporter for the Daily Record in Dunn, N.C. for several years when forced to resign due to his health and disability stemming from Hodgkin’s disease and Agent Orange. Mr. Youmans continues to write articles for newspapers across the nation from home. In addition, he is a featured columnist for Military.Com and staff writer for several other Internet web sites including www.supportthevets.com, www.usdr.org and several others. Mr. Youmans has taken the task of advocating improvements for veterans’ benefits as a personal goal.
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