We're Forgetting the GIs in Iraq - Let's Not

http://www.newsday.com/news/opinion/ny-vplar233506306oct23,0,5434809.story?coll=ny-viewpoints-headlin


We're Forgetting the GIs in Iraq - Let's Not

By James L. Larocca

October 23, 2003


Just as the country was enjoying one of the better post-season baseball dramas of recent years, complete with ancient curses, meddlesome fans, and on-field assaults and battery, a tragic milestone was being reached in Iraq - the loss of the 100th and 101st young Americans to die since George W. Bush cheerfully announced the end of active combat on May 1. The report last Saturday did not receive the attention and concern it deserved.


As the war becomes permanent, and as Americans routinely die on the ground in Iraq, we must remain concerned. We must keep them front and center in our consciousness and in the national debate, and that requires us to speak out.

The White House seeks to turn every utterance against the war into a failure to support the troops. The administration even tried to portray last week's vote in Congress to make half of a $20-billion appropriation for Iraq into a loan as a failure to support our soldiers. This is, of course, unworthy nonsense.

In fact, the highest act of loyalty to the troops is to insist that the administration make better sense of the mess it has made in Iraq, better reinforce and protect the troops while they are there, and bring them home as quickly and safely as we can.

Every time I see opposition to the war equated with not supporting the troops. I support every one of them, and hope they can get home soon and reconstruct their lives. I do not support the radical, un-American policies of Bush, Cheney, Perle, Wolfowitz, et. al. - none of whom give a damn about the troops except in how they can use them as tools to advance their immoral agendas.

Let's not forget that 'the troops' use their tanks to crush Iraqi taxis.

Let's not forget that 'the troops' destroy farmland as a means of collective punishment.

Let's not forget that 'the troops' take a sadistic pleasure in humiliating the Iraqi population.

Let's not forget all the Iraqis that 'the troops' shot just for the hell of it.

You are both right. There has been much hatred spread by this administration. Also few Americans know anything much about anything. Look at Stump. He is one of the good ole boys; that's allegedly why he is popular. He is totally incurious; he knows no geography. This citizenry is duped by tv, by its own misuse of the resources of this world and its purposeful indigency.