I wasn't gonna watch this. I knew it was going to be one of those gut-grabbing emotional tear- jerkers.
But I kept rolling by it, day after day.
I finally watched it.
It was everything I said and then some.
What better time to watch it than the day after independent day.
I am sure my views aren't popular around here, but we need to bring them home. I don't have a problem fighting a war that needs to be fought. Even hitting Afghanistan and taking out the Taliban. But the Iraqis weren't doing anything to us. And they are worse off than before. (As long as you weren't a direct enemy of Hussein or someone he used to prove a point) The ordinary (non-militant) people there were much better off, free to attend schools, intermarry between Shiite, Sunni and Kurd. (I have a friend who is an engineer. She went to University of Baghdad- her family is from all three sects. Thank God her family is all here in the US. Her husbands family - sister and mother still in Iraq. Not safe) They mostly had utilities, clean water. No more. Hussein was no good, but there are worse despots out there today that we don't seem to care are killing their own people, raping, burning villages, forcing children to war.
I'm not anti-military. I was in CAP, ROTC, but my health kept me from being accepted either in the Air Force or the Guard. I've got lots of friends, cousins, co-workers, that were in Nam, The first Persian gulf (I still remember the night. I was on my way to an FAA Safety meeting when it started. I stopped the car and just cried.)
I've seen the horrible lifelong damage it can do to people. We need to get out as gracefully as we can and get our soldiers home. I don't know how to accomplish that. but I don't think we are helping the US,. and we sure aren't helping the Iraqis. They are worse off.
There's plenty in this world worth fighting for.
All we're doing now is making more people hate us and trying to stanch the bleeding.
Sorry,
Climbing off my soapbox now.
And yes. I was an honorary member of the Viet Vets Assoc when I was in college at University of Tennessee. I worked to advocate for our boys (Back then they were mostly boys) and helped then get their GI Bill tuition and stuff. I hated the war. But I supported our people.
Karie,
who just ruined a perfectly innocent shoulder (butt) but will try to salvage it anyway. (Dried out waiting for one end to get off the plateau)