How to honor fallen soldiers this Memorial Day: Stop making more of them.

[brainshrub]

Note: I did not write this, I edited it for a guest blogger for my site. However, it was so astute that I have a feeling you'll appreciate it.

I recently attended an event where a DCCC-endorsed Democratic candidate for congress was handing out cards with the names of six soldiers who had died in wars throughout American history. He suggested that we honor these individuals by reading their names aloud in a public place on Memorial Day.

When I asked the candidate about his ideas on how to get US troops out of Iraq if elected, he said that while he didn't like the occupation: "we are there for a long long time" and he wasn't going to make it a campaign issue.

Great. Dead soldiers from past conflicts are worth campaigning on, but living ones in current hot-spots are left to fend for themselves.

This candidate clearly did not seem to grasp that every few days another six soldiers are dying in Iraq. Or, to put it into terms he might understand: Every few days another card full of dead Americans is being filled out.

Being the son of a career Army soldier and growing up in a military family, the callus disregard for the plight of the troops in Iraq touched a nerve as he passed around thinly-veiled campaign literature.

Both Republicans and Republican-lite Democrats, like this candidate, are always quick to be seen praising the troops. However, they are unable to recognize how deeply disrespectful it is too order soldiers to keep dying day after day with no exit strategy or realistic plan for victory.

The best way we could honor those who have fallen in service to our country on Memorial Day is not to read their names from some card printed with a candidate's campaign logo, but to make sure that no more soldiers die in a conflict that is clearly an un-winnable mistake.

The way for Democrats to win this election cycle is to stand courageously on our values and offer voters a clear choice between right and wrong.

Thinking Americans already understand that the Iraq invasion and occupation is wrong. Only ideologues and political opportunists still claim otherwise. I, for one, am tired of Republican-lite candidates who don't have the spine to campaign on a platform that proposes ways to bring as many troops home as quickly as possible.

Originally posted here.

[Drum]

1. Amen! nt

[orwell]

2. Stop thinking...

...it's dangerous...

[brainshrub]

3. kick