My cousin works for dick cheney, my niece is deploying to Iraq.

[Philosoraptor]

What a crazy world. While at my uncle's funeral, I met my cousin, his son, for the first time, in full Army uniform, and discovered that he works at the Pentagon directly under big dick. He's part of big dick's staff even. I didn't meet him, or shake his hand, I might have punched him in the face and that would've made me look like a real jerk.

My uncle fought in the Korean war. My sister made up a photoshop collage of all the members of our family who fought in America's wars, from the Civil War right on up to now. My cousin served in the first bush war, under the first bush, now he's in the big leagues, working for the 'man' himself. I suppose I'd have been damned proud of him before there were any bush presidents or bush wars, but all I could muster up for him was shame and disdain.

Meanwhile my niece who joined the Army last year at age 30 is deploying to Iraq any day to drive an Army supply truck. She joined because she needed a job and a future. She has a job, but with no future. My cousin helps orchestrate the horrors that my niece now heads into, and my mind reels.

My brother in the meantime is sorry he ever voted for bush, twice, his wife seems happy as hell that her daughter is going to Iraq to fight the heathen Muslims. (You can't make this shit up).

I write my niece, and last month she got shrapnel in her leg during training, she's o.k., and preparing to go into hell. She saved up all her meager funds and bought her own 'dragon skin' body armor cause the Army is too cheap to get the good stuff. She says her new armor weighs 50 lbs., and the shit the Army gives you only weighs 20. So she knows what she's getting into.

All I can do is wish my niece good luck, and curse my cousin.

[iamahaingttta]

1. Much of my family is like that too.

We don't talk very much.
I'm usually well behaved.
Not always, though...

[blm]

2. I hear you loud and clear - am also facing weird family political dynamics this week

taking place around a family member's funeral in SC.

[Javaman]

3. Have you read the reports about the dragonskin armor?

http://www.murdoconline.net/archives/003769.html

[Greyskye]

4. The article that url references is over a year old

and has had serious objections raised as to its objectivity.

[Javaman]

5. Okay, so does this mean the armor was fixed? nt

[Greyskye]

6. it was possibly never 'broken'

The Army tests from a year ago have had some serious methodology questions raised about it. The officer in charge of the testing (which concluded that the Dragon Skin armor was deficient) retired and took a job with Dragon Skin's main competitor.

Wikipedia has a very good rundown of more recent independent tests: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_Skin_body_armor

[Javaman]

7. ah hah, I see. interesting.

more of the shock troops double think into convincing people not to buy the competitors equipment.

Interesting. I'm just angry I didn't figure that out at first. lol

I just hope your niece comes home in one piece. God speed.

[Greyskye]

8. not my niece...

...but I echo your sentiments for the OP. :thumbsup:

[Annces]

9. That is SOME bad stuff

My condolences.