one less american boy into the Iraq meat grinder (for tragic reasons)

[Lerkfish]

First of all, let me say that I had NO IDEA this was happening, or I would have talked to him myself.

This weekend, my sister in law makes a "routine" call to my wife. She's on the phone a long time in a part of the house where I can't hear the conversation. My wife fills me in afterwards. Keep in mind, my sister in law is a staunch democrat. I think some of this was news to her, as well.

Turns out our nephew, whom we thought was attending college and living in a fraternity...well, half of that is correct. He's living in the fraternity house. He had dropped out due to grades, gotten a part time job, and then lost that job. Unbeknownst to us, he had been nearly recruited by a frat brother, who was serving in Iraq and had come home, showing him his medals and talking up the sign on "incentives". Our nephew was gung ho to sign up, and had even argued with his mom, who told him "sure, they pay your education, but what good is that if you come home in a body bag?" (I wish I'd known of this because I would have backed her up)

He was adamant to do this because he saw no other way to earn money.!!!!!

ok, now here's the tragic part. Remember his frat brother? the one with all the medals?
That frat brother was one of the 14 Ohians just killed last week. That frat brothers's photo was on the cover of USA today.

Our nephew called his mother, crying (she didn't know that it was the same guy). NOW he'll not enlist.

I say, GOOD (that he won't enlist), but I also say WTF? It took having to know someone who died before he realized it wasn't a good idea? What about all the other soldiers he didn't know? didn't that make any impact?

This is why they hide flag-draped coffin photos, this is why Bush never attends a funeral service, this is why the heroic war dead are not given faces, or talked about by this administration..

because THEY KNOW that if people put a human cost to the number 1,833, that they'll WAKE UP!

[annabanana]

1. How sad that it took this particular death..

to open his eyes. I am glad for all his friends and family that his eyes are open.

[Lerkfish]

5. yes, that saddens me as well.

I'm grateful he woke up, but I'm very sad that someone else's nephew or son had to die for that to happen.

I also feel horrible this was happening in our family (him wanting to enlist) and I didn't know about it. It could have happened, and we would have just gotten a call from my sisterinlaw to see him off at the airport.


it makes me SO ANGRY that ANYONE'S child has to die for this immoral war for oil.
it makes me SO ANGRY that ANYONE'S child has to die as an innocent Iraqi caught in this quagmire.
it makes me SO ANGRY that ANYONE'S child has to endure torture at the hands of people purporting to do it in my name.

what is wrong with the world!!???

Someone has to put a stop to this madness!

[yellerpup]

2. Right you are.

I didn't get involved in protesting the VietNam debacle until the boys I knew started coming home shot up and mind sick.

[MadHound]

3. It is youths' delusion of immortality.

Most kids in their teens and early twenties think that they're invincible, despite what their older, wiser peers tell them. They usually don't get over this unless they have their noses rubbed in it one way or another. I'm happy for your nephew and SIL that he got a quick, rude awakening before it was too late.

And yes, this is one of the reasons they're hiding the bodies coming home, and tweaking with the American death count. Doing so also helps to keep the public support up. If it was publicized that American casualties were actually five times the official number, public support for this war would be even lower, and the opposition would be even more vocal.

[MissB]

8. Exactly.

Kids do think they are invincible.

[seabeyond]

4. this is how so many support this war, by not seeing the human

cost on the iraqi side. i know, i know if more people saw the pictures of the injured and dead of iraqi children, they would not be able to support. if they saw and hear how the iraqi's are having to live, they could not support this

you are right, the way to get support is to hide these things. until people truly get to see the horrors they will not allow themselves to truly think about this mess. and the impact on so many lives

[getmeouttahere]

6. I would think it would be enough to see pics of dead or maimed...

Iraqi children...but perhaps that's just me.

[Tim4319]

7. So, so true!

This is the exact reason they hide photos of the fallen soldiers! It is ashame that they associate these young men and women only as numbers.

[noamnety]

9. I've been talking already with the peace group at a high school

about honoring veterans day this year by putting up a photo and blurb about each of the soldiers killed in Iraq. Not sure how much hallway space we need. I originally thought about the white crosses, but I think I prefer having the photos, so their smiling faces are staring back at the kids.

If more people worked with a high school to do a display like this, without even any political commentary, I can't help but think it would make a difference to at least some of the kids.

[jbnow]

11. Yes! We have to face the faces.

The faces of the living who were killed are what rips your heart out, perhaps even more then some gorey picture of bodies.
The vibrant faces, the eyes looking out in the photo. The REAL people who are gone.

No one could say it was gruesome or even all that political, it really is just honoring them. But it is so hard hitting...to glimpse the faces and the lives...

Someone mentioned the Iraqi children earlier and I think the same would be true of them. (Not saying to put them in your project!) If we could all see pictures of the kids laughing, playing, gazing...kids who died in this war...it would reach hearts in ways the numbers never could.
Anyway, your idea is great. It is honoring them in the best way-their lives remembered...and I think the most effective way to reach the kids.

[Wetzelbill]

10. I have 3 friends in Iraq that I know of......

I tell you, I haven't seen any of them in years, but it bothers the hell out of me, that they are there.

I think the impact of this thing hasn't been felt all that much yet. Vietnam - I wasn't born until right about the time it ended - had to be much more personal. The body bags, the communities devastated etc. This thing is only starting to hit home. War is an awful, ugly hell, it isn't a game or a fucking pissing contest held on the floor of the Houses of Congress or on the WH lawn. It hurts people. Destroys families and communities. Waving a flag doesn't cut it. You have to know what the facts and goals are. These people are standing over caskets realizing that we made a mistake by going to Iraq.

Do we have to wait until everybody stands over the casket of a dead loved one, before we realize how catastrophic this error was?

I hope and pray not.

[txindy]

12. I'm glad your nephew didn't enlist

And I hope he speaks to a lot of other young people who are even considering enlisting and telling them about his friend's sacrifice. His friend who won't be spending a penny of that incentive money.

Your nephew could prove a powerful voice. He could turn his current situation with grades into a true success and speak out to help protect other young people. He learned his own lesson in the nick of time. He gets it now. And now's the time to turn it around and help others 'get it'.