my ltte printed today-the effect of infinite wars

[w8liftinglady]

http://www.thedailylight.com/articles/2010/07/08/opinion/doc4c35ebdc28fe4864408558.txt

To the Editor,

As the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan enter their 10th year, we — as a nation — have gone on. There is a whole new generation who will not know the sacrifice and tragedy our troops have endured while the “leaders” still try to come up with a good reason to remain there (outside of the profit they stand to make by remaining). As a small tribute to the nameless soldiers and Marines on the ground, here is the background of a few.

Air Force tech Sgt. Adam Ginnett died Jan. 19, 2010, near Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered from an improvised explosive device. Sgt. Ginnett had served three tours in Iraq and two tours in Afghanistan. He told his mom, “I don’t go out there on the battlefield with a gun and shoot anybody. I find these bombs that are going to take someone else’s life. I’m saving people’s lives, not taking them.”

Sgt. Daniel Angus, 28, of Thonotosassa, Fla., was killed in combat while deployed on his third tour of duty in the Middle East in the Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Sgt. Angus loved spending time with his family, hunting, fishing and mudding. He is survived by his loving family, wife Bonnie; daughter, Kaitlyn Marie.

Sgt. Lucas Beachnaw with the 173rd Airborne Infantry, had been killed Jan 13, 2010 in Afghanistan in small arms fire. Sgt. Beachnaw was married right before he left for his second tour of duty in Afghanistan. The last chat he had with his dad, the day before he was killed, involved the daily rigors of Army training school, deer hunting and sending him a care package of venison summer sausage and jerky.

These guys were from different places with different interests, but they all had a dedication to their nation, their families and their military buddies. We have lost 212 troops in Afghanistan so far this year. How many more need to die before our leaders decide we have been there long enough?

Write your Congressmembers and encourage true action in ending these senseless wars.



(By the way-these obits were well-advertised earlier this year-I normally do not name soldiers-I leave it to their families.I made an exception here)

[Hell Hath No Fury]

1. Thank you --

for all the work you do with your letters. :hi: If even one mind is changed...

[Altoid_Cyclist]

2. There is a helping of hyperbole in this, but this is the one that I wrote earlier today.

For some reason, I just felt more pissed off than usual. As I said, some of this was a little too strong, but I did feel better once I finished it. I doubt that Sen. Casey or Sen. Specter will end the war just for me, and I KNOW that Shuster doesn't give a damn about anyone besides himself and his toadies, but I can dream....



No more funding for occupations.

So, our elected officials have once again voted to waste more money and lives in the Quixotic attempt to build US style governments in countries that will never function under our type of government.

It's disheartening to say the least to realize that the US corporations and politicians care more about making money than the sanctity of human life. As Americans and the citizens of Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan continue to die for no apparent sane reason, our so called leaders blithely continue to allocate billions of dollars to occupy and attack countries and the people living there.

No good has come from these acts of aggression other than to make more money for the likes of Xe (formerly Blackwater), Halliburton and its' former subsidiary KBR and of course the companies who were promised their own oil fields to plunder after we "liberated" Iraq.

Our continued occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan as well as the attacks inside Pakistan make it very clear that the US is engaging in war for the sake of profit for the sycophants and lobbyists attached to the Pentagon and empirical purposes related to fossil fuel addiction.

This is not what the US used to stand for. At what point do we as a country say that enough is enough and insist that these deaths, occupations and attacks will no longer be tolerated?

Let's hope that the point of no return hasn't already occurred and that our politicians and the citizens of America wake up from their stupor and realize that all of the money wasted can be used in this country for peaceful purposes.

[w8liftinglady]

6. i like your writing...feel free to send it to my editor

he prints everything!

[Altoid_Cyclist]

7. Thank you for the compliment.

I finally hit the 1,000 post number this week so I've decided to start putting more emotion into things here. For the most part I've tried to be inconspicuous and not get anyone PO'ed at me up to now.

I'm very non-confrontational most of the time, but wars and needless deaths (among other things) bring out the anger in me.

[Scuba]

3. Thanks for your activism!!!

Change one mind at a time.

[Blue Owl]

4. K & R!

The majority of Americans want this "war" OVER and DONE with.

[w8liftinglady]

5. thank you all....keep speaking out!