(Beautifully sad piece, worth another look. - promoted by krazypuppy)
I received this in an email from my friend Leslie Harris who protests with the "Peacemaker of the Year" who cleans DC streets.
WHY I FIGHT FOR PEACE by Cloy Richards USMC, Iraq Veterans Against the War LINK
Because I can't forget no matter how hard I try.
They told us we were taking out advancing Iraqi forces,
But when we went to check out the bodies
they were nothing but women and children
desperately fleeing their homes because
they wanted to get out of the city
before we attacked in the morning.
Because my little brother, who is my job to protect,
decided to join the California National Guard
to get some money for college and
they promised he wouldn't go to Iraq.
instead three months after enlisting
he was sent to Iraq for one year.
Since he has been home for the last six months,
he refuses to talk to anyone, he lives by himself.
the only person he associates with is a friend of his,
the one other man out of his squad of thirteen men
who made it home alive.
He called me a few weeks ago for the first time
And told me he's having nightmares.
I asked what they were about and
He said they're about picking up the pieces
Of his fellow soldiers after a car bomb hit them.
More reasons from this Iraq War Veteran on the flip....
Initial investtigations into the Haditha incident in which 24 civilians were murdered supports the accusation that the Marines did in fact kill them in cold blood.
There you have it folks. Our great country, our honorable Armed Forces on the front page of the world carrying out gang style executions of unarmed men, women, and children as young as THREE.
If you think this is an indictment of the Armed Forces, you're mistaken. The four Marines accused of this atrocity do not represent the Marines or our military. You want to see true representatives of our forces? Try Larry Stallings or David Harris.
Mason came forward despite the death threats from these 4 murderers (& any nutcase winger - go to the sites & see them!) and he told the truth.
And THAT is a true Marine - that (are you listening George?) is a true American.
It's not that we're always right. It's that we believe in our ideals - Freedom, honesty, responsibility among many. And when we screw up, we don't hide behind denials - we let the whole damn world know we're responsible and then we go fix it.
This widespread hysteria some of you may have seen (& heck, may have participatd in) over MySpace & how it's child molestor's dream seems a little too much for me.
No, I'm not saying there isn't anything to worry about.
As an Internet expert working in the area and as someone once contracted to actually develop a sexual predator database, I can tell you that you do need to be aware of your child's surfing habits.
There are guys (and women) out there looking to pick up a minor or not caring if they do meet one
My problem with the MySpace uproar is that it's just one site. Yes, it is the biggest site but frankly there are thousands of sites, chat programs, and phone chat services out there that will give predators opportunities to meet teens.
In fact the technology is moving too fast for parents to keep up.
It is suprisingly easy for predators to contact teens and be able to trace teens if they are not careful.
The only way in my humble opinion parents will be able to keep kids safe is by talking with them and making teens aware of the dangers of their online activities.
Well, I wonder how those parents are going to respond to the Marines using MySpace to, well, pick up teens and young men and women.
