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Not
My Child...
By
John Youmans
 It is natural for
parents to protect their children. But we see or hear in the
media almost on a daily basis where children of others have been
killed, disabled, hurt or abused. The parents reading this
frequently think, "I'm glad it's not my child."
Imagine how you would
feel if it was your child. Imagine the terrible trauma,
heartache and pain if you were told your child was dead,
disabled for life, badly hurt or abused. It is also only natural
then to ask, "Why my child?"
There is a profound
statement being made in both of the above cases; the loss is
much easier to accept as long as it is someone else's loss. The
closer we are to the loss, the more difficult it is to accept.
And conversely, the further we are from it, the easier it is.
Out
Of sight, Out Of Mind
Unfortunately, the
same theme runs true in relation to the number of our children
being killed in Iraq. If it is not our children, our brothers
and sisters, our parents being killed in Iraq, it is somehow
more acceptable. The further removed we are, the longer it
continues, the more acceptable it becomes to accept the horrific
loss.
That is why we don't
see the more than 1,600 dead soldiers retuning from Iraq and
Afghanistan. That is why we don't see the more than 40,000
wounded and disabled soldiers. Out of sight, out of mind.
To those who have
suffered losses in the Iraq war and said, "Why my
child?" the truth is nightmarish! Arms and legs cut off.
Eyes put out. Flesh burned. Intestines ripped out. Backs broken.
Skulls crushed. Lives lost. Families torn apart. Homes
destroyed. Children left without parents. Parents never able to
see their children again. Wives without husbands. Husbands
without wives. Souls snuffed into eternity. Emotional scars that
never heal. But most of us are far removed from the pain. These
are the realities of war.
No
National Sacrifice
 It appears the only
people sacrificing for the war are the very patriotic soldiers
and their families who are fighting it. The rest of the country
is quite immune. While many wave American flags and stick
Support The Troops logos on their cars to show their patriotism,
they don't really sacrifice. As the affluent enjoy massive tax
breaks during this very expensive war and as corporate America
reaches record profit levels, disabled veterans are being told
the country can't afford to provide adequate VA healthcare and
other benefits. In public, this administration waves the flag
but behind closed doors they continue to fight the war on the
cheap when it comes to directly supporting the troops.
Why
Are We Still Fighting?
There is absolutely no
doubt about the patriotism, sacrifice and dedication of our
military. They have performed admirably. But that is expected.
Like it or not, they are following orders. But are they
defending our nation?
After 9/11, many young
men and women ran to join the military to fight Al Qaeda and
destroy those who attacked our country. It was very similar to
our reaction following the attack on Pearl Harbor. But for all
practical purposes, the military war in Afghanistan is over.
The Iraq war is a much
different story. There were no weapons of mass destruction and
Saddam Hussein was not preparing to drop a nuclear weapon on our
soil. There were no threats of mushroom clouds. Saddam Hussein
was not in cahoots with Bin Laden on 9/11. But Iraq is where
more than 1,600 soldiers have died and more than 40,000 have
been disabled or wounded. The majority of citizens are
unaffected and making no sacrifice while others are making
record profits hand-over-fist through the Military Industrial
Complex.
Volunteers
Decreasing
We are running out of
warriors. They, as well as their equipment, are worn out. A back
door draft prevents soldiers from leaving the military service
when their enlistments are up and many are forced to serve two
or more tours of duty fighting in Iraq. So much for voluntary.
Recent reports indicate that growing opposition to the Iraq war,
as well as fear of death or injury for a questionable cause, are
beginning to have a serious effect on recruitment. Where are all
those patriotic flag wavers that say they support the war now?
Why aren't they lining up to fight and die in this never-ending
war?
Solution
To This War
The surest way to
extinguish the bloodlust of this administration is to initiate
the draft. We need to insist those who are sending our young to
fight and die, and those near to them, also get involved in the
fighting. Share the sacrifice.
If there is a draft to
supplement our voluntary force that will be needed to conquer
and dominate all these evil-doers throughout the world, there
will be uprisings and public demonstrations this country hasn't
seen since Vietnam.
All the people who now
say they support the war will have a change of heart when it
hits home. Until then, or until the American people wake up to
the fact that war profiteers are merely manipulating and using
them, our military personnel will continue to be used, not as
defenders of America, but as expendable commodities in the
relentless pursuit by internationalists to establish a global
economy. And they openly admit it.
On May 15, Condoleezza
Rice said, "We are so grateful that there are Americans
willing to sacrifice so the Middle East will be whole, and free
and democratic and at peace."
That is much different
that what was told to those making the ultimate sacrifice in
Iraq when they were sent to be killed. I am sure no one Condi
Rice knows gave up his or her life in Iraq. Unlike previous
wars, the "need to serve" in this highly unpopular war
is not shared by our present administration or those getting
rich off of it.
Mothers across this
country need to stand up and shout, "Not my child."
Parents need to recall a famous Willie Nelson song: Mama Don't
Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Soldiers.
© 2005 John
Youmans..
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