did they die in vain?

[mopaul]

that's a cliche that's been around forever. 'died in vain'. what does it mean exactly? does it mean that soldiers were sent to defend america, but since it was all based on lies and for war profiteers, did they die in vain?

no grieving relative would want to admit that. the fact that their own child, who had the steel to join in the fight and put his/her life on the line, is sent home undercover, in a secret flag draped coffin. to think that your own son, fulfilling what he thought was his duty as an american, was ulitimately lied to, and TRICKED into his own death for an evil purpose. not defending freedom. not spreading liberty or noble american ideas, but for making billionaires into trillionaires.

you'll never convince some grieving parents that their fallen hero died in vain, but surely, some must see it.

[demnan]

1. Of course they did

This is the ultimate tragedy of it all. At least in WWII the young people knew there was a good reason for the war - that if they didn't go Germany and Japan were going to take over the world.

Our soldiers are more like the Japanese and Germans who "died in vain" defending an evil administration.

[freetobegay]

2. They died in the service of their Country, they are Heros!

The one's that sent them there are ciminals and should be hung from the nearest liberty tree!

[mopaul]

3. true, but some have committed atrocities

not to nitpick here, but i've read recent accounts of some of the atrocities committed by our soldiers in iraq. not all of them are heroic, some are just plain assholes. but that's how it is in war.
people have to be killed. i'm sure that many of them actually are heroic, i'm sure the majority are.

but dying in the service of one's country, ultimately, is heroic.
and in that regard, i agree with you.

[freetobegay]

4. Then don't nitpick

nothing is 100% absolute.

I can't stand this war It is the worst that America has ever done! But I stand behind the troops ANd will continue to do so until they are brought home (hopefully not in transfer tubes).

[mopaul]

6. i yam wit you free........

my subject line is a question, to which i don't have the answer.

did they die in vain? who am i to say?

but like i say, i agree with you.

[proud patriot]

5. if they died protecting their fellow soldiers then no , No they didn't

this is just such a personal issue .

I know some of the families who have lost
someone feel that it was in vain .

In some ways they are right , but I've been searching
my soul for an answer to this question and the only
answer that comes to me is the line from Black Hawk
Down . "It's about the man next to you"

All of our soldiers have individual experiences ,
and it really is not for any of us to say IMHO.

:-(

[BlueEyedSon]

7. Vain: marked by futility or ineffectualness (from www.m-w.com)

I suppose it depends what you perceive the goal of the Iraq Adventure to be.

1. Finding/destroying/protecting the US from WMD's... Nope.
2. Decreasing terrorist threat... Nope.
3. Ameliorate the IP conflict... Nope.
4. Bring democracy/freedom to Iraqis... Jury's out (probly Nope).

5. Making profits for the MIC... Yup.
6. Creating bogus political capital/cover for a corrupt admin... Yup.

[Solly Mack]

8. Speaking as a soldier's spouse

For me, there is no "dying for our freedoms" going on in Iraq(or Afghanistan for that matter).So, regards to that, yeah-it's in vain.

There is a lot of dying for nothing.

Some have died saving their comrades. Which is what it mostly boils down to-saving yourself and the person next to you. Giving your life to save another is not in vain.


I can't tell another in my position that they should think as I do-if only because they have to live the rest of their life with their spouse'/daughter'/son', etc. death...and they must cope.


It's not a simple issue...lots of aspects.

[bloom]

9. War

Take away the medals, the pomp, the ranks, and what do you have left.

People killing each other. I suppose once you are in the situation where you have guns pointed at someone else, it is kill or be killed. What meaning is there other than that?

The trick is not pointing them in the first place - esp. in this situation when we had no reason to be there, anyway.

[checks-n-balances]

10. As others have said, the answers are both Yes and No

YES in that their deaths were totally needless and senseless. As the number of casualties continue to pile up, their tragedy is one of the main horrible outcomes of this unnecessary invasion.

But NO, in that perhaps SOMETHING will be changed for the better. Organizations like Mothers Against Drunk Driving (or any victims' rights groups, or whose child may have been murdered, etc.) have been formed by parents or relatives of victims of senseless tragedy who are determined not let their loved ones' deaths be "in vain." It also serves to give meaning and purpose to their grief, when their grief and anger is channeled in a way that helps others or prevents more tragedy.

They will not have died in vain if their deaths cause people in the U.S. to finally wake up to end this madness in Iraq. If relatives of our fallen heroes cannot take up the cause themselves, we must do it for them and NOT LET IT HAPPEN AGAIN!

I CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING MORE SUPPORTIVE OF OUR TROOPS (AND THEIR FAMILIES) THAN TO MAKE IT MORE POSSIBLE FOR THEM TO GET OUT ALIVE AND RAISE ENOUGH QUESTIONS TO PREVENT ANYTHING LIKE THIS HAPPENING AGAIN.

I ALSO THINK THAT WE SUPPORT THE TROOPS WHEN WE QUESTION THESE ACTIONS IN ORDER TO PREVENT THESE KINDS OF DEATHS.

The horrible truth is that these soldiers may have literally been killed by non-U.S. soldiers in Iraq, but ultimately they were victims of the delusional and deadly international chess game dreamed up and played out by U.S. Foreign Policy.

ALL OF THIS SHOULD BE LAID AT THE FEET OF BUSH/CHENEY AND ALL WHO MASTERMINDED AND PROFIT FROM THIS WAR IN IRAQ.

BTW, I have a very brave cousin in Fallujah and I'm incensed that he's even there. I hope to God he makes it out of there soon.