An Apology to the World by a U.S. Citizen

[Dems2002]

Dear World,

I am a citizen of the United States of America. As such, I am directly responsible for the treatment of Iraqi Prisoners, Afghan Prisoners, and all other international prisoners by the United States of America. I believe in the Geneva Conventions, but I admit to not being surprised that the President of the United States and the Secretary of Defense used members of Halliburton, CACI International, Titan Corp., and other American Contractors to do an end-run around these Conventions. (Attempts to make scapegoats of enlisted personnel notwithstanding)

I have always considered myself a patriotic American. In 2000 I was concerned with the way the Presidential Election was handled. The true will of the people seemed less important than winning, and the Supreme Court’s decision to step in and halt the counting of votes struck me as decidedly un-Democratic. But protestors were told to “Get over it” and ridiculed, and so I kept quiet.

As a patriotic American, I was a bit uncomfortable with the way The Patriot Act was rammed through Congress after 9/11. I equated giving away our Civil Liberties to giving in to the terrorists. But then I was told that by not signing on, I must have something to hide. And so I signed on.

As a patriotic American I supported the war against Afghanistan, but I did have some reservations about Gauntanamo Bay. It seemed worrisome to set up a prison outside of the rule of law, shrouded in mystery without citizen oversight. But I was told that to worry about terrorists was to be a traitor to my country, and so I shut up.

As a patriotic American I found myself opposed to going to war in Iraq. Then I heard the Bush Administration say that protesting the war was un-American. I had attended just one candle light vigil, prayed out loud for the troops and silently for the Iraqi people and then stopped when the war began. I wanted to be supportive of our military, like all patriotic Americans.

As a patriotic American I saw the pictures of the Iraqi detainees and I cried.

For the past three and a half years I had been confronted with things I knew were not right, but I wanted to be considered a patriotic American and so I was silent.

Now, as a patriotic American, I am a supporter of torture.

Please forgive me.

[Paradise]

1. powerful letter. thanks, Dems. n/t

[NewJeffCT]

2. great letter - send it to your local paper

I wish I could write that well.

[Commendatori]

3. I'm as disgusted by Abu Ghraib as any of you, but

I am not responsible for it. I did not direct my tax dollars towards the war, much less towards the prison or the sicko guards' salaries.

I understand the sentiment of this letter, but I do not consider myself, any of you, or the writer to be even remotely responsible for the actions of those guards. I do not owe the world an apology, the government (for which I did not vote) does.

[quinnox]

11. This is true

I never buy the guilt complex arguments when they are presented, your post is a good illustration why. I wonder sometimes why this kind of thinking (guilt complex) seems to be more prevalent on the left side of the political equation.

[Commendatori]

12. Great question, wish I knew. Thanks for the reply (n/t)

[Dems2002]

15. We are responsible for our government

I disagree. I can't help but think of the Germans sweaping their porches every morning.

Our media has been going downhill for a number of years. But I didn't pay a whole lot of attention. I am responsible for that.

I didn't protest or complain or really even think much about The Fairness Doctrine when it was in place. I didn't even realize when it was removed. I am responsible for that.

While I have voted in most every election since turning 18, I haven't paid a lot of attention to some of my local offices, one of the means which right wing candidates have used to attain higher office. I should have paid more attention.

Like it or not, and I definitely don't like it, as a Citizen of this Country, I am responsible for the behavior of my government. I could have done more to stop them. I didn't because I really wasn't paying attention.

Imagine if twenty years ago we had been there when the right began attacking the news media as "liberal."

What if we had been on the ball and exposed right wing extremists before they were elected to the school board or the city council or as county supervisor? Maybe we should have run against them and stood up as strongly for our beliefs as they did for theirs. Or if not, maybe we could have worked on behalf of other candidates who stood up with us.

Where were we when the DLC began taking over the Democratic Party and allowing corporate america to become America?

I see many many lost opportunities where if we had been paying attention, we might have been able to stop the things that are now occurring. 2000 may have been too late, but what about 1990? 1991? 1992? 1993? Sometime before the Republican revolution.

All I know is that there was a time that we could have stopped the things that are currently happening in our name. We didn't do anything then, so we are responsible for the world in which we are currently living in, however vile we find it.

Dems

[MirrorAshes]

4. Thanks for this.

I am a patriotic American, and I am ashamed for my government. Please give us the oppurtunity to prove to you, the rest of the world, that we recognize our errors and regret them. Please give us the chance to make it up to you.



Thanks for the letter--I share your sentiment.

[newyawker99]

6. Hi MirrorAshes!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[The Shadow]

9. Hi MirrorAshes

Welcome to America!

[Endangered Specie]

5. "(Attempts to make scapegoats of enlisted personnel notwithstanding)"

dont you know that in the military, shit always flows downhill.

[DinahMoeHum]

13. ". . .in the military, shit always flows downhill. . ."

and scum rises to the top.


:evilfrown:

[Pachamama]

7. And now, like you, I will be silent no more and follow Bush Patriotism...

Well said...I couldn't have said it better..I'm sure we all did the same for the last 3 1/2 years...No more...

[The Shadow]

8. Very Nice Indeed!

A True American.
Well written piece.

[Rainbowreflect]

10. I would like your permission to send this letter to some folks.

I will give you credit in what ever way you would like me to.
Thanks

[Dems2002]

14. Permission granted

Please send this along to whoever you'd like. I'd love to get it published somewhere, although I think the anonymous tag should probably remain.

Dems

[Rainbowreflect]

16. Thank you.

I am going to send this to everyone on my list and then use it as a "reply to all" when I get any bushit freeper type emails re Iraq.

[trof]

17. As a patriotic American...

on 9/11/2001 I placed my American flag in the holder on the oak tree out by the mailbox.

The day we invaded Iraq I went out and took it down.
It goes back up when George is out.

Excellent letter Dems2002.

[Dems2002]

18. thanks n/t

[Redleg]

19. Why should we apologize to the world?

I appreciate your heartfelt sentiments but I do not feel even remotely responsible for Bush's ill-advised rush to war and the fucked-up execution of the same. Perhaps if Bush could conjure the fine words you wrote, he could make an apology that the world would respect.