14 Marines from a unit based in Ohio died when a roadside bomb went off in Iraq on Wednesday August 3rd.
It is sad for the families of the fallen Marines but since Wednesday our local media have not stopped talking about the deaths. I have seen several parents interviewed, people putting flowers at a make shift memorial, and now the Governor has called for a day of mourning on August 8th.
Having lost my Dad in Vietnam back in 1968, I understand what they are going through but I am disturbed by the relentless media coverage about the recent deaths. It just seems creepy that people think they need to grieve with the families in a public way.
This isn’t the first time the local media here in Ohio has given coverage of an Iraq war death. It seems every week there is another video package of parents talking about their child or a husband who has been killed. It has happened so often that I am numb to it. That’s why with the deaths on Wednesday, I really don’t feel anything beyond sadness for the families. I am not mourning nor do I need to mourn.
It may have something to do with my feelings about the troops in Iraq. I don’t believe they should be there.
Our Governor, in his call for mourning said “All citizens of Ohio should pause and remember all of those heroes who have sacrificed their lives and those who are currently fighting to defend our freedom…”
I don’t see the troops as heroes and they aren’t defending my freedom. They are doing a job. They are executing a political plan to install democracy in a region that has no history of democracy. They were sent there based on a lie. To me all the troops there are victims. They are victims of a crass and arrogant civil authority who never had a plan except for their fantasy idea of what would happen.
That’s maybe why I don’t feel anything else when there are reports of another child or father or mother dying in Iraq. Death just seems like another outcome from a failed policy by leaders who should know better.
We have seen this all before. My Dad’s name is engraved on black granite in Washington as a monument to another arrogant administration who also had fantasy notions of how another country should be run.
Losing a child or father or mother in a war is hell. It never seems to get better even with time. They are gone and will never and can never come back.
That’s why sending troops into battle should be the very last resort. It is not fast or easy. It isn’t a video game. Troops are real people with real lives and have more living to do.
Each death tears apart another family and is never something that should be entered into lightly.
Well Tricky Iraq never once shot down one of our planes during post war time. Everytime they turned on a radar station it was blown up.Bush Sr. stopped the war in 1991 because 1. the mission stated to the US public was completed – Iraq was forced out of Kuwait and 2. He knew full well the crap that would take place if we had "wiped the regime off the face of the earth" and we are seeing what exactly happens when one doesn't learn anything from history. After the first gulf war Saddam was contained and missing his testicles and we could have kept him that way forever. Removing him was not needed to make us "safe".
Well Doug, as far as the flawed intel leading to the war goes, I could care less. I was chomping at the bit through the end of Bush I's term and the ENTIRE Clinton presidency to go into Iraq and wipe that regieme off the face of the earth. I don't know if you recall the weekly (sometimes daily) attempts by the Iraquis to shoot down our guys in the 'no fly zones'. It isn't a cease fire if only one side adheres to it. When the first radar locked onto one of our jets we were forced NOT to fire in retaliation. This is as you can immagine very frustrating. They could have said that Saddam said Mickey Mouse was a vegetarian and I would have been ready to go.Don't get me wrong, I am a peace loving war mongor. I prefer peace, but if I am called to war, don't give me limitations. Just stand back and if the immages get too grisly for you, look away. I will destroy our enemies thoroughly and without malice. When there are no more enemies then I will enjoy peace.
A number of them clearly choose to be in Iraq based not on their opinion in Iraq, but on their status essentially as (high risk) public servants. One thing that bugs me about the US army, is that given the size of the military budget they have to play with, they take care of their soldiers so poorly.A lot could be done to provide better training (increasing success of operations and helping to save the soldier's life), your soldiers should be payed a lot more (they are behind other comparible OECD nation's pay for soldiers) and the benefits they get payed after being injured are a joke (benefits being somewhat of an oxymoron).While I protested against the invasion of Iraq, I want to see not just Australian troops, but American and other nationalities, looked after by their government.I'll probably blog about this at some stage ;)Bruc ehttp://bruceraverant.blogspot.com
When I wrote the troops aren't heroes I was talking about that in the way a person will sacrifice themselves for a cause. Sure some of the troops would want to be there but even they didn't have a choice. Death doesn't make one a hero automatically. Death due to bad policy makes one a victim.Being that most of the troops volunteered to get money for college or training they could use in civilian life it makes it that much more tragic.
Oh and about the treatment of the troops.Historically, the Federal government has not supported the troops either in combat or afterward as one would assume they would be if they were actually "heroes".Bush wanted to cut their benifits as they fought and died in Iraq. After WWII, Congress fought over the GI Bill. And the army had to disperse the camp of Bonus marchers back in the 1930's.And then they expect you to go fight a war?
I notice the Christopher Walken is making the treatment of troops an election issue in his campaign for president in 2008 .www.walken2008.com
Well Doug, I would not say that they are not hero's at the risk of sounding as if I don't care about each and every one of our troops that are there! I do and will say that they should have never been over there and should not be over there now, but what can they do? If they AWOL then they are sent to Lebonworth or have all their benefits they have worked for taken from them. We have a war monger for a president and it seems like no one really is trying to do anything about it! Iraq, Iran(which according to Rumsfield is the new destination of the dreaded weapon trade to Iraq-Can we remember the WMD?), Afaganastan, will it ever end? I watched loved ones and my own father in law scrape the bottom of the barrel for benefits from illnesses and issues he came home from Vietnam with and I wonder what will become of the vets of this war? What is worse, I voted for George W. Bush twice! After seeing Michael Moore's movie, I am nearly sick at my stomach! Seems from what I gathered from the movie, is that Saudi's own or atleast have a big stake in alot of American Oil buisnesses….Could that be why we are in such a mess with rising gas prices?