This is an email from a soldier in Iraq...one of my students.

[Freedomofspeech]

This young man is 24 years old, a graduate of the Naval Academy. His mother died in a car accident when he was a young child, and his dad is an alcoholic. Obviously he is bright, but his life has not been easy. Now at 24 he is leading a platoon of Marines (he arrived in Iraq in Sept., and his platoon arrived two weeks after he did). He has already had to send a letter to one of his soldiers parents, and I can't tell from the email how many have been injured. I am so afraid for him, and I keep picturing this young man being shot at and leading a bunch of young men, that he barley knows, against who knows what. Please pray(to whomever) for David, and every other young man and woman who are faced with this needless hell. I don't sleep at night, but I guess that heartless, gutless bush and his buddies have no problem. DAMN each and everyone of them to a hell beyond imagination.






hi everyone,

it was brought to my attention that i haven't written in a while, sorry. things are pretty busy here now, sorry if i haven't replied to you, i don't get to check some of my emails. obviously i'm alright, thus continuing the invincibility streak. my marines are also good for the most part, we're all just working like dogs right now. i sent a letter to the parents of one of my marines today, a first. basically the most sobering experience of my entire life. we've had a lot of success too, though, and it's looking better. so we've had our ups and downs. they're really big fans of ramadan, the other day we had 9 different attacks. you think they'd be more tired from not eating and stuff. oh well. well gotta go, take care everyone

[Divernan]

1. This Marine & his platoon were attacked NINE times in ONE day .

What total hell.

[Botany]

2. damn

Why am I crying?

GOD DAMN YOU DICK CHENEY, RUMMY, WOLFIWITZ, KRISTOL, AND COMPANY
WHO RIGGED THE ELECTIONS AND LIED TO US SO AS TO PUT THAT MENTALLY
WEAK MAN IN POWER.

[Subdivisions]

4. "Why am I crying?"

I was holding it together until I read that.

[Minnesota Libra]

3. The one thing I got from that email was............

.....the attempt to sound hopeful but the despair still filtered through. Am I the only one who sees and hears that???

[havocmom]

5. You are not alone in your perception of the emotion behind the message

This is what it comes to: Putting these young men and women, the future, OUR FUTURE, in an insane situation solely for the reason of corporate profit.

The corporations that comprise the Military Industrial Complex, their puppets in government and the military brass more concerned with lucrative jobs in their future than with good command, are holding our troops hostage. If we don't keep paying, they die. If we do keep paying, they a bit slower, and perhaps fewer, but they die.

Cut and run? No, regain sanity and save what is left.

The corporations are taking our troops and literally squeezing the blood out of them for profit.

And at the tender age of 24, this young officer is seeing the folly.

Wait til he comes home and is confronted with how the GOP treats the survivors... VA cuts, more red tape to get help, an economy that offers no future.

Pray for him and the rest? Oh, yes. And more than that. Work like hell to remove the criminal element that has taken over our government and destroyed the Constitution those troops took an oath to protect.

They are captives of bush/cheney junta just as surely as any prisoner at GITMO. We have to protect their backs and get them home.