Truck driver kidnapped in Iraq is a victim of Shrub's policies

I have close relatives that come from the same small town as Thomas Hamill, the civilian trucker that was kidnapped in Iraq. The media story about him is basically true. He inherited a dairy farm but lost it since it probably was already in debt under his father. The small farmers can't survive against the big corporate farms that receive the huge subsidies under Shrub's farm bill. He drove a milk truck doing pickups at the dairies and his wife did have open-heart surgery. I remember my relatives talking about him over Christmas. He left because he thought He could make a quick buck and was promised something like 80 grand for working in Iraq for a year. Noxubee County, MS, where he is from, has about an 11% unemployment rate and votes heavily Democratic. I don't know his political persuasion since he is only an acquaintance of my relatives but he is possibly a Democrat. Knowing his background, I doubt he is that politically aware. He probably doesn't even know that KBR is a division of Halliburton and that Cheney was the former CEO. He probably doesn't know too much about the politics of Iraq. My relatives refer to him as a good ole boy.

The reason I posted this was the posts that I saw from some that some thought of him as mercenary. One of the reasons that I am a Democrat is that I realize the world doesn't have black and white simplistic answers to every problem. Not everyone who works for Halliburton in Iraq is a card carrying Republican Neocon hired mercenary. Some are just people like this fellow that saw a way to make a quick buck and did not think about the politics or the danger of the situation. I think it makes us look bad to condemn some of these people. I agree with those about some of hired soldiers but this guy is a simple broke-ass red neck truck driver and condemning him makes us look bad.

If y'all remember the problems that both Carter and Reagan had with hostages, it is a political disadvantage for the Bush administration. Especially when you have someone who is in this situation because of the Shrub administration's health care and economic policies. I think we would be better served calling for the Shrubites negotiating his safe release than attacking the victim. True, this guy put himself in harm's way but it will get our troops home sooner if we point out the circumstances of a civilian being kidnapped. The Repubs used it effectively against Carter.

and knew of the family. You described them perfectly. I was simply too outraged to respond when I saw the vicious fools calling him a blood thirsty mercenary. How stupid some people can be in their smug, self-righteous simple-mindedness.

You're right, they see everything as black or white. Unfortunately, the world is full of shades of gray.

I live in St. Pete now and it is kind of neat to go up there. I pull up in my relative's yard out in the country and leave the keys sitting on the dash so that someone can borrow the car if they need it. Everyone knows everyone up there. I imagine you probably know some of my in laws. They've been up there for several generations. You'd have to know my father-in-law, everyone up there knows him. He's a salt of the earth type but very well self educated and a devout Democrat. He's also a Vietnam Vet. He's the one that told me about Hamill.

Confirms the pay was $80k/year, tax free is he stayed for 335 days. Went for the money, wanted to send his son to college. Interesting interview - he went without much of an idea what he was getting into imo.

http://www.npr.org/rundowns/rundown.php?prgDate=13-Apr-2004&prgId=2
Contractor, Attacked in Iraq, Returns Home

NPR's Robert Siegel talks with Stephen Heering, a Texas truck driver who'd been driving in Iraq for a subsidiary of Halliburton. Though his first few weeks there were relatively uneventful, last week his truck was destroyed and he narrowly escaped with his life when a convoy he was in was ambushed. He's since returned home. He explains what happened, why the job attracted him and why he's not returning to Iraq.

I was absolutely appalled at some of the posts I read in one of the threads about this yesterday! I am ashamed to say that I was speechless, when I knew that keeping silent about such ill-informed and malignant sentiments as I saw in that thread was cowardly.

If so-called "liberals" can be so lacking in compassion for a fellow human being, then it's no wonder that we've lost legitimacy in the opinion of the body politic.

Compassion. It's not just a slogan, it's the path of true humaness. We blithely mock the ineptitude of the (mal)adminstration in winning "hearts and minds" in Iraq, yet we slam some poor schmuck who's just trying to keep his head above water financially in these hard times.

It's absolutely shameful, some of the crap that was posted here...

sw

.. were not really liberals or Democrats, at all. Just thoughtless, mean, angry people.. and possibly disruptors. I swear, when I read things about other sites that brag about posting here and stirring us up.. I'm more and more convinced that there are 1000+ posters here who are imposters.

Be comforted in knowing that there were few posters like that in those threads, and they were quickly smacked down for their utter cruelty.

I do hope Hammill comes out of this okay, and can return to his family very soon.

Confront them, but don't take them seriously.

but some have been here for years. And we have to admit, unfortunately, that there is a particular type of "liberal" that is every bit as sanctimoniously judgmental as any Christian fundamentalist. Fortunately, they are a small group, but a rather loud one sometimes. The Hamill story has given them a chance to do their thing, so they are making hay while the sun shines.

I don't see how attacking them will win any support against this reckless war. I pray regularly for the people of Iraq, the US soldiers, and these contractors.

I have an old friend that I hadn't heard from in a decade. We were college roomates during my 1st graduate studies and I met my wife through him. He called us out of the blue about 2 weeks ago because he is in the National Guard and found out that after one tour of duty in S. Iraq he is being sent back to Fallujah. He sounded like he just wanted to cover all bases before being sent back there.

Aside from prayers, the best thing that we can do for these folks is to get rid of the idiot that we have for president. Joe Biden on this week's Face The Nation outlined that he had been in touch with the member nations in NATO and stated that if we were willing to equally share the decision making and control of Iraq then even the French had said they would send in troops. It would give us about 20,000 additional troops and may encourage some of the surrounding Arab countries to assist in the restoration and peace keeping in Iraq. It would also make our troops less of a target. However, the arrogant Shrub pretty much dismissed that idea last night. We can expect more people like Hamill to be kidnapped.

and provide for their family..just another sign of the times with fewer jobs and wages being driven down.
Fascits dreamtime

and posted in his defense here on DU. I thought HIS story was particularly interesting because it points out the sorry state of employment in the US and that this guy probably had huge medical bills from his wife and no insurance, with two small children, he had to do something to make money. And, that agribusiness had probably caused him to have to sell the Dairy Farm.

This guy's story should be hammered out their by the press because he is an example of an America in deep trouble while Bush spends our money on Iraq.

I pray that the Iraqi's who are holding him captive see that he is different, not a combatant, and they release him.