She Hates the War That Killed Her Son: 'Death was a Waste'

[DaveSZ]

http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0429-10.htm


'Death was a Waste'
She Hates the War That Killed Her Son

by Jill Porter

FOR US, it's the enigma, the irony, the question that begs an answer:

How is it that the son of anti-war social activists who grew up marching on Washington wound up in a military unit in Iraq?

But the question that haunts his family is far more profound, singed on their souls by tears of grief:

Why are good young men like their son and brother dying in an unjust war - for nothing?

-more-

[glarius]

1. It must be devastating for these families

I'm sure as more and more of the families of the dead soldiers realize the truth of the phoniness of this war, there will be a big backlash.

[Jivenwail]

2. This is so incredibly sad

Another loss of life in an illegal war. My heart goes out the this family and I applaud their courage to speak out.


RIP, Sgt. Baker. Yours is yet another name and photo to be shown on "Nightline" tonight.

[SEpatriot]

3. Those who are doing the dying

There are a few telling lines in this story that the public needs to understand fully...

"He abandoned his plans to become a schoolteacher because he had a child by the time he graduated King's College in Wilkes-Barre and couldn't afford to spend time getting his student-teacher credentials.

He was devoted to his son, James-Dante Raphael Baker, now 9, and worked constantly to provide for his struggling family.

"He worked lots of jobs," said Celeste, 57, director of the Mayor's Commission on Services to the Aging.

"He'd never sleep because he was always working."

The promise of money to pay off his college loans and the opportunity to help his community lured him to join the Army National Guard..."

Sgt. Baker, I don't suppose would ever get the chance to work a deal with the NG to leave early and go to Harvard Business School. The injustice of the Bush war, like the Bush economy, the Bush environment and the Bush "justice" system is staggering. While Bushes cronies get richer and fatter, the poor unlucky bastards get screwed and have to die. Talk about "class warfare."