Son of state Sen. Becky Lourey(MN) killed in Iraq

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/5426899.html

Lourey, son of state Sen. Becky Lourey, has been killed in Iraq, a senate spokesman said.

Details of the death of the helicopter pilot were not immediately available, said John Pollard, spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Dean Johnson.

Johnson was expected to convene a news conference later today.

Lourey, DFL-Kerrick, had 12 children, two had died before Lourey's death.

[shawn703]

1. Don't see many conservative lawmakers lose their kids in Iraq. n/t

[paula777]

2. He had 12 children? Wow, why would anyone have 12 children?

[Kagemusha]

3. This isn't the time.

Ugh...

[wicket]

8. no, it is referring to his mother

http://www.hometownsource.com/capitol/2001/november/1115lourey.html

A DFLer from Kerrick Township -- located in northern Pine County -- Lourey, 58, was first elected to the Minnesota Legislature in 1990.

She and her husband Gene have lived on a farm in the township for 27 years, raising some 12 children, adopted and their own.

[RamboLiberal]

10. Curious - what is a DFLer?

And it's a shame, just as it is a shame for every one of these soldiers we have lost in this trumped up Bush War.

[shawn703]

11. Democrat-Farmer-Labor party n/t

[Zorra]

12. Democratic Farmer Labor Party I believe. n/t

[dflprincess]

40. Eight of their kids are adopted

and I believe some of them may be special needs kids. And, for any lurking Freepers, Senator Lourey is prochoice and a liberal.

My heart breaks for the Laurey family.

[cascadiance]

9. My mom had 11 brothers and sisters!

but that was a long time ago of course when going out to "multiply" made more sense when the population was smaller. And none of them were adopted. It wasn't until just a few years ago though when one of them died.

[genieroze]

50. I had nine brothers and sisters.

[Snap]

19. Some natural, some adopted

I think she has some foster children as well. She is mother to so many children because she is generous.

[goodhue]

37. She had 4 bioligical children, then adopted 8 more . . .

From a 2002 profile . . .

http://www.startribune.com/stories/587/5427018.html

In 1961 she began dating Eugene Dallas Lourey, her best friend's brother. She went away to Asbury College in Kentucky that fall and the two corresponded by mail. They were not letters of longing and romance, she said. "It was really our philosophy for the future."

In 1962 they married and moved to suburban Washington, D.C., where "Dal" worked as a code-breaker for the National Security Agency. They planned to give birth to five children and adopt five. "It was part of our vision for the world."

By 1969, they had four biological children. But as supporters of Zero Population Growth, a movement to limit the Earth's human numbers, they decided to stop there and adopt.

The first was Jay, a 2-year-old. He died at age 5 during heart surgery. Then seven more children were adopted, from Guatemala, Korea, Colombia and Minnesota, some with medical problems.

Fernando Lourey, 25, Lourey's son from Guatemala, died in a swimming pool accident at a Maplewood hotel last July. It was shattering, Lourey said, but also confirming.

"Nando" had told her months before that she should run for governor, she said. "He would be disappointed if I didn't run since he had given it so much thought."

[spuddonna]

45. some people like big families and children???(n/t)

[RetroLounge]

47. Why would anyone ask such a question here?

:eyes:

RL

[salin]

4. How terribly sad,

this loss, and the previous two.

[bleedingheart]

5. I am sorry for the family

it is tragic...

[dbt]

6. bu$h is killing our children in Iraq.

And in case you're keeping score, it's KIA 1653, WMD 0.

[alcibiades_mystery]

7. Details were unavailable?

No, not really. If Lourey was a helicopter pilot, then his OH-58 Kiowa helicopter was shot down by small arms fire in the vicinity of Baqubah on 5/26/05.

[dissent1977]

13. Becky Lourey is one of Minnesota's greatest

She has always been very progressive, and has been consistantly spoke out against the Bush Administration. My first exposure to her was at a rally against the Patriot Act at the Minnesota State Capitol in 2002. At that time there were very few people in the media questioning the Patriot Act, and in fact it was portrayed as a very popular bill. Lourey saw through the lies however, and she was the only legislator to speak at our rally. I truly admire her courage, and I wish her the best in this time of hardship.

[MN ChimpH8R]

17. Amen

to every word of that. She's one of our best.

:cry:

[soup]

20. Thank you for sharing your personal note on Rep. Lourey.

She sounds like a strong and brave woman. My condolences to her and the rest of the family.

May her son rest in peace.

[Roland99]

14. Was that the only child of a Senator or Rep. in Iraq?

[cascadiance]

16. No, note that she was a STATE senator from Minnesota...

Not one of Minnesota's U.S. Senators.

There are probably a lot more reps in various state bodies with kids in Iraq...

[Roland99]

18. oh...oops

[Rainscents]

15. So sad and pity way to lose a child... Un-necessary war.

My prayer go out to the whole family.:cry:

[dissent1977]

21. Write to Becky Lourey and give her support in her time of need

It is difficult to imagine the pain a mother must feel when they lose a child, but it must be especially difficult for Lourey to lose a son in a war that she opposed. She once said "I don't want any more chicken hawks making these decisions, lying to us about the reasons." Now her son has died because of the lies of those chicken hawks who she so strongly condemned.

I think it would be great if everyone here wrote a short note to Representative Lourey, and let her know that we are all thinking about her in this difficult time. Her e-mail address is [e-mail]

[leQ]

42. done

[Cha]

48. Thank you..I do feel like writing

her and giving my moral support.

RIP Senator Lourey's son O8)

[goodhue]

22. (MN) State senator's son killed in Iraq; copter shot down

http://www.startribune.com/stories/1762/5426685.html

Last update: May 27, 2005 at 1:55 PM

State senator's son killed in Iraq; copter shot down

Mark Brunswick and Patricia Lopez, Star Tribune

May 27, 2005

Helicopter pilot Matthew Lourey, son of state Sen. Becky Lourey, has been killed in Iraq, a Senate spokesman said.

* * *

At 41, Matt Lourey was one of the older pilots in the military and was close to retirement. At one point he had been offered a chance to move away from helicopters to fly fixed-wing aircraft. It would have meant several years of training and likely would have meant returning to Washington, D.C., where he and his wife purchased a home.

"He was offered the easy way out and he turned it down," said his brother, Tony. "I'm mad at hell at for him for doing it but I understand it. He did what he had to do. He wouldn't have been Matt."

Tony Lourey said the family felt strongly about questioning the war in Iraq and that they had shared their feelings with Matt. Matt himself had expressed reservations, particularly after his first tour of duty, which involved providing air cover for infantry, Tony Lourey said.

"We have pretty strong feelings, really. We don't believe that we had any business over there. I'm speaking for me, I know I'm speaking for Dad when I say that. Matt was always very careful. He was a military person. He signed on understanding full well that he wasn't going to make the decisions about what we got engaged in. He signed up to say 'I'll do what you guys say is the right thing to do.' He was always very careful about what he said."Tony Lourey said his brother felt honor bound to go back.

"We all talked to him and said, 'Matt what they hell are you doing? Don't go back over there.' But he said, 'I signed up for this, I know the risks, the U.S. paid me to learn how to fly this bird.'"

[whistle]

23. Sorry to hear that, but he was not the first and he won't be the...

...last to pay with his life in Bush's War. My sympathies to the family.

[slor]

24. Sad news...

BTW, did the son of the rethuglican lady from Florida, ever go to Iraq? I cannot remember her name but she was on Real Time" a few months back.

[One_of_8]

25. My sympathies to his family

How very tragic.

[beam me up scottie]

26. R.I.P. Matthew Lourey nt

[Greyskye]

27. How tragic!

She received the news via cell phone while in a meeting. :(

She is listed on her official web site as DFL - Democrat-Farmer-Labor.

Use www.bugmenot.com for registration at the above link.

[rodeodance]

28. sad, no words for this.

[rodeodance]

29. Lourey, DFL-Kerrick, had 12 children (8 adopted)

........Chief Warrant Officer Matthew Lourey, 41, was assigned to fly Kiowa Warrior helicopters with the Army's 82nd Airborne Division. He died Thursday during his second tour in Iraq, said Senate Majority Leader Dean Johnson.

Lourey, DFL-Kerrick, had 12 children; two had died before the soldier's death. Eight of her children had been adopted.

Johnson, who also is an Army chaplain, said the military called him this morning and asked him to make notification to Sen. Lourey, who was at the Capitol. But Lourey already had been told by a daughter and was on her way home to Kerrick.

[rodeodance]

30. ........."My son is dead," (Becky) Lourey said abruptly.

........."My son is dead," Lourey said abruptly. She grabbed her purse, Cushman said, and ran down the hall of her Senate office. State Patrol officers caught up to her in Rush City and escorted her the rest of the way home.

At 41, Matt Lourey was one of the older pilots in the military and was close to retirement. At one point he had been offered a chance to move away from helicopters to fly fixed-wing aircraft. It would have meant several years of training and likely would have meant returning to Washington, D.C., where he and his wife purchased a home.

Site of helicopter crash"He was offered the easy way out and he turned it down," said his brother, Tony. "I'm mad as hell at for him for doing it but I understand it. He did what he had to do. He wouldn't have been Matt."

Tony Lourey said the family felt strongly about questioning the war in Iraq and that they had shared their feelings with Matt. Matt himself had expressed reservations, particularly after his first tour of duty, which involved providing air cover for infantry, Tony Lourey said.

[Skittles]

31. *sniff*

terrible, just terrible

[Javaman]

43. Each death in this war is tragic, perhaps now, as it's seems to be..

Directly effecting members of our gov't, they will suddenly come to their collective senses and get us the hell out of Iraq.

[Straight Shooter]

32. Will bush have the decency to attend this soldier's funeral?

I think we all know the answer to that.

I'm so sorry this young man died, when his family knew that this war is based on a pack of lies. I suspect he really liked the flying aspect of the job. It's my understanding that helicopter pilots are a totally different breed.

This is really sad.

[dissent1977]

33. Please write to Senator Lourey to show her your support

Senator Lourey is one of the most courageous senators in Minnesota. She has consistently stood up for progressive causes, and has been an outspoken critic of the Bush regime and their unjust war. Now she has lost a son in the war that she opposed, and I can only imagine how difficult this must be for her. Please send her a short note to show her that Minnesotans and people across the country are thinking about her and her family in this difficult times. Her e-mail is
[e-mail]

[Erika]

35. done n/t

[warrens]

34. Condolences

Bush lied, people died. Lots of people died.

[goodhue]

36. Here is profile of Sen. Lourey dating from her 2002 candidacy for governor

Worth reading if you are not familiar with her politics . . .

http://www.startribune.com/stories/587/5427018.html

[wicket]

38. We should do a DU card shower of condolences to his family

This is so sad :(

[goodhue]

39. kick

[oasis]

41. kick

[msanthrope]

44. Dear Senator Lourey,

I am very sorry for your loss. I cannot express how sad I am that you have lost your son. I hope that you are comforted and sustained by your family.

pacoyogi

[Kenergy]

46. E-mail for Becky

http://www.minnesotavotes.org/Legislator.aspx?ID=2374

This is very sad. imo, Bush and Blair both should be hanged for
this senseless war.



<on edit: sorry, just noticed that others provided e-mail
address.>

[Postman]

49. Another wasted life taken because of a liar.

they are dying in vain.

Lies. Oil. Power. Fascism.