Stripes letters: military spouse blasts Bush/1st letter on Katrina

Sheehan deserves meeting

As a military spouse who disapproves of the war in Iraq, it is nice to see other families associated with the armed forces stand up and speak their minds (“Bush should see Sheehan,” letter, Aug. 26). It is assumed that all servicemembers and their families agree with George W. Bush’s policies simply because he is commander in chief. It is well-known that, as a soldier, you are given respect based on the rank you hold, but I see it another way. You get respect when you earn respect and Bush continues to lose my respect based on his poor choices.

Cindy Sheehan lost her son in a war that was based on lies and deception by Bush, and it is shameful that he didn’t take a moment out of his precious vacation to speak with her about it.

Recently he had the nerve to publicly say that the majority of military families do not agree with Sheehan. I would like to know what facts that statement was based on because I believe he is absolutely wrong.

Any one of us could shed our blood in the name of Bush’s war and to think that he would not even be compassionate enough to speak one-on-one to our families about it is a slap in the face to the military as well as to the country.



War diverts needed funds

$231,862,239,357. This is how much we’ve spent in that hole in Southwest Asia known as Iraq.

In the meantime, Americans are suffering. They are suffering the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. They are mourning 1,873 boys and girls, son and daughters killed in Iraq. They are suffering with the many thousands of family members who have been maimed or dismembered in the name of what clearly can’t be accurately named at this point in time.

“The war on terror,” “the war on weapons of really bad consequences (but mass-destruction, not so much),” “the war on the bad dudes,” “the gagged-bad in Baghdad,” “the war of the hoses (oil),” “the war of Fox News ratings” — whatever clever moniker is used by those who need to justify it, is diverting critical resources from Americans who truly need it. Even if there weren’t hellish conditions to relieve in the Great American Southland, these resources are being diverted away from education, health and welfare, infrastructure, science and defense to feed a festering wound on the Earth that will never be put right.

The U.S. military is the most awesome, powerful force the world has ever known. It is able to inflict absolutely unbelievable amounts of destruction on any entity with virtual impunity. It is not a civic, “shake and bake,” Hey-Let’s-Build-A-Democracy do-it-yourself kit.

We’ve captured Saddam Hussein and his henchman. Now it is time to bring our men and women home and let Iraq do what it needs to do to join the world as a responsible and accountable nation. Let’s plough our resources into America as it should be.

In the time it took to write this letter, the U.S. spent another $4,399,837 in a country that really doesn’t want us there. How many Meals, Ready to Eat would that have bought for people now starving in New Orleans?


http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=31393

:mad: