I was just sitting down to a favorite web
site tonight, one that is dedicated to the men and women of my era.
It has music from our generation, music that unfortunately
reminds us of the fields of a far off country where many of our best
and brightest were killed, trying to defend democracy in a war that
was, as we find out today was brought about for false reasons, fought
in the name of democracy, but fueled by big business, fed by bad even
criminal intelligence.
Many innocents were killed in a war where
you could not always tell who was the enemy, because they wore what the
common people wore, blended into their villages, taught their doctrine
of hatred for what we were trying to their people, and of the American
soldier. One song in particular on this site strikes me deeply;
it is called 19″, and is done by Paul Hardcastle. It speaks
to the fact that the average age of the soldier in this conflict was
nineteen years of age, not old enough in those days to vote, but
certainly old enough to die in some muddy field in a foreign country
thousands of miles away.
We of that era hold a common
brotherhood, and sisterhood for those that traveled that journey with
us. We have some met at a wall in Washington D.C. and have wept
on each others shoulders and remembered those that were not there with
us to share in life this experience of honoring those who were, for the
most part unrecognized upon our return to this country.
Let this
not happen to those who are returning from this illegal war. We must
continue to support our fine men and women that are over there at this
time, while at home fighting the continuance of this war. It is time to
put the defense and future of the Iraq government into the hands of
those that will live under it, and most benefit from it.
Congress,
it is time. End this conflict NOW. We do not need to further add to the
rolls the names of men and women wounded, maimed, and killed in body,
mind, and spirit.
We have served our purpose over there, the
dictator is disposed and on trial, and will be brought to justice for
his unspeakable crimes against his own people.
It is time.