With all respects to our veterans and fallen soldiers

[shadowknows69]

but I have to rant. I covered a Memorial Day parade and ceremony for my website today and I told my wife later that the only reason I didn't have to call her for bail was because I was there in a capacity as a journalist so causing a scene would kind of invalidate the whole "objective reporting" thing. Not that I ever would disrupt a solemn ceremony like this but I can't pretend I didn't want to. Look, I get the message that freedom isn't free. That my freedoms have been paid for by the blood of the brave. Merciful Gods people why do they have to be? I don't want blood buying my freedom. Particularly if I'm expected to give the same reverence to the unfortunate soldiers caught up in this illegal horror. DU vets forgive me but I can't. These boys aren't saving my freedom with their blood and bone. They're buying Dick Cheney another yacht. They are enabling a generation of hate without end. They may have been fighting for Iraq's freedom in their minds but I doubt that's the case anymore. 90% of the soldiers I've approached about it are just doing the job. Putting food on their tables and almost overwhlemingly still doing it just to protect their brothers and sisters in arms that are there. I once told a group of just returned vets, ones I've mentioned before in my taxicab reports that were very anti-war, that this citizen thanked them for their service and welcomed them home for whatever that was worth. One soldier very bitterly snapped back at me and said: "actually it's not worth a god damned penny. I'm not fighting for you, or george bush or america. I'm fighting for money and to get out alive with my unit"
I doubt that there's many troops today that really believe that they are dying for the words of the oath they took. I take nothing away from these soldiers honor. I couldn't if I wanted to. I hope any Vets that read this understand my disjointed ramblings about this. I just wanted to scream every time a speaker said those words in connection with Iraq or Afghanistan. "fighting for our freedoms and our way of life." In both cases I'm sorry to say it is mission not accomplished. Our brave soldiers have died for lies and greed. Our brave soldiers have died while our freedom and way of life is crumbling around us. The only way our brave soldiers could fight in defense of our freedom in this day and age is to rise up and arrest the criminals that have misused and dishonored them. Please no more blood for freedom. It apparently isn't preserving it. Let our freedom be bought from this day forth with atonement for our sins, compassion for the world and all of its peoples and justice for all Gods children. If we continue to live by the sword we will indeed perish by it. A wiser man than me said that once. I've always believed it and history has always proven it. It's time for mankind to evolve past our petty follies and live together for the good of all or hasten our demise and let the roaches have a chance.

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. I'm the wife of a vet

and the freedom ain't free has grown thin. I will tell you why... the cost of freedom is not the blood of troops... but eternal vigilance... it is that last bit that people have forgotten

[Clarkie1]

19. Excellent point. n/t

[MikeNearMcChord]

2. This vet, is not offended, but I thank you.

I get outraged listening to some dittohead or freeper talking to me about these guys fighting in Afghanistan or Iraq for freedom, if they are fighting for my freedom, I retort, then they should be invading Washington DC, because Saddam, Osama, Mullah Omar and rest of the gang aren't responsible for taking away my freedom.

[shadowknows69]

3. Thanks

Was afraid I was on thin ice there for a minute but I have to call it like I feel it.

[me b zola]

14. The point that you made cannot be said enough

"...Saddam, Osama, Mullah Omar and rest of the gang aren't responsible for taking away my freedom."

None of the above mentioned have the ability to take our away freedom(s). Only we can do that to ourselves--and we are :(

[babylonsister]

4. Honor the warrior, not this war. I'm the wife of a vet, and

we both feel this way.
Too bad the asshole in charge doesn't seem to have a clue what he has reaped or worse, doesn't care.

:(

[shadowknows69]

6. I kind of laughed at who they had for the "Guest Speaker"

And I know I shouldn't piss on this guy's service but it was my understanding that he was a ROTC grad so he went in as an officer and his sum total of actual combat was being in charge of an ARTY unit in Desert Storm. Just my opinion but if you want to drive home the cost of war maybe you pick a Vet with a little more front line experience.

[shadowknows69]

12. A footnote to that post I just remembered

The person introducing the speaker also mentioned one of his accolades was he was in charge of the 1.2 billion budget in 2003 for Operation Iraqi Freedom. I almost laughed out loud. Not sure if that's something I'd put on my resume. It was obviously spent well :sarcasm:

[Karenina]

22. Babylonsister, would you be so kind

to entertain a question, which I pose in the spirit of changing consciousness about the pervasive myths with which we were all raised:
WHY "honor" the "warrior?" WHAT is honorable about waging war?

First, I think it critical to separate ALL personal attachments to personal choices in considering the question. It is not posed to second guess those complicated issues. What I'm getting at is the historical glorification of "war, soldiers, death and destruction" which tends to blind those on the BLEEDING EDGE to what is really at stake.

Looking at all the Haditha threads, there is "some thing" jumping out at me that needs clear articulation. For whatever reason, the Cyberspace Muse tells me that you can help me sort it out.

[Kenergy]

5. Good post n/t

[Ilsa]

7. Good rant. Bush and Gonzales and Asscraft have done more to

take away our freedom than Saddam ever could. Everytime the Constitution is undermined by these pricks, Osama has a good belly laugh, I bet.

I stay silent when I hear it on holidays. I try to rememebr that they aren't talking just about now, but decades and centuries ago, when people really were giving their all for "freedom", not some politician's idea of how they should be dying. And since part of grief may mean that a family whose has recently lost a loved one is not ready to be angry by W's waste of humanity, I'll stay quiet if they need to believe the death had a purpose.

[Brigid]

8. This vet understands perfectly.

The hard, sickening truth is, the troops in Iraq are risking their lives for Bush, Cheney, and their oil buddies. And the lives that have been lost mean nothing to that crowd. :grr:

[TallahasseeGrannie]

9. I agree that freedom isn't free

and many of our conflicts have been justified. But this one has headed down the wrong path from the first day. There were other avenues available to us.

But GWB's testosterone got in the way.

[madrchsod]

10. there is no honor in the iraqi

the honor is with the men and women who try their best with what they are given to protect themselves and the men and woman beside them. it was sicking to listen to bush today announce that there is a war on terrorism that will require an endless supply of blood just to fulfill his delusions of grandeur

[roody]

11. Thanks for a good dose of reality.

[SeattleGirl]

13. Excellent post.

I agree with what you said. Those men and women in Iraq aren't "fighting for our freedoms", but for the egos of Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfield. And that is what enrages me so much about it. I will not diminish those men and women; overall, I think they are doing their assigned jobs the best they can, under a CiC and Defense Secretary who couldn't care less about them, except as photo ops and pieces of meat to use to promote their evil agenda.

It is the way the men and women in the military are being USED by BushCheneyRumsfield that is an abomination. It is to weep that those three are incapable of feeling shame about what they have done; are incapable of seeing that what they have done is WRONG. And it is to weep that the men and women who volunteered for military service are the ones who pay the price for what BushCheneyRumsfield have wrought.

[many a good man]

15. Freedom? Freedom = America's freedom to kick ass around the world

In every speech you hear just substitute the words "American imperial power" every time they say the word "freedom."

It started at the same time they change the name from "Department of War" to "Department of Defense." Is that Orwellian, or what!?

In WWII we had to defend ourselves and our allies from the spread of right wing authoritarianism. Now the fight is at home. I salute those who put on the uniform and put their lives on the line because we need a strong military to prevent others from even thinking of attacking us. But in the last 50 years I'm hard pressed to find any military intervention that contributed to our freedoms or anyone else's for that matter.

[Gregorian]

16. Easy Rider

I saw your post just after reading another. I was feeling like I should be guilty for being from relatives who were conscientious objectors in WW2. And preparing to be a CO in the days of Vietnam. And after all, there are always going to be violent people in the world. So by not picking up a gun, I'm just making it easier for them. So thanks. Because I agree with you. The cycle breaks somewhere. And it takes intelligence and courage.

Here's a scene from Easy Rider that has a tangential kind of meaning to it. Actually, it hits head on with what is happening right now.

George Hanson: You know, this used to be a helluva good country. I can't understand what's gone wrong with it.
Billy: Man, everybody got chicken, that's what happened. Hey, we can't even get into like, a second-rate hotel, I mean, a second-rate motel, you dig? They think we're gonna cut their throat or somethin'. They're scared, man.
George Hanson: They're not scared of you. They're scared of what you represent to 'em.
Billy: Hey, man. All we represent to them, man, is somebody who needs a haircut.
George Hanson: Oh, no. What you represent to them is freedom.
Billy: What the hell is wrong with freedom? That's what it's all about.
George Hanson: Oh, yeah, that's right. That's what's it's all about, all right. But talkin' about it and bein' it, that's two different things. I mean, it's real hard to be free when you are bought and sold in the marketplace. Of course, don't ever tell anybody that they're not free, 'cause then they're gonna get real busy killin' and maimin' to prove to you that they are. Oh, yeah, they're gonna talk to you, and talk to you, and talk to you about individual freedom. But they see a free individual, it's gonna scare 'em.
Billy: Well, it don't make 'em runnin' scared.
George Hanson: No, it makes 'em dangerous.

[shadowknows69]

17. and we know how Billy and Captain America wound up

n/t

[kineneb]

18. Janis was right

"Freedom's just a word
for nothin' left to loose."

Peace to all.
No more blood of our children for the causes of Ego.
Nam mo Amida Buddha.

[mcscajun]

20. Incredibly honest. Gave me chills.

The Truth Will DO That, doncha know? :)

[Hubert Flottz]

21. They stole our records and gave them to criminals...

that was our reward for not going AWOL like Bush did.