I wanted to pass this message from Suzi, my wife, along to everyone. She had her first conference call with bloggers today to discuss our new ad and what its like for the families of the men and women serving overseas in Iraq. I hope you enjoy her message and take a moment to watch the video and please feel free to recommend this post if you feel others would benefit from the message.
-Paul
Last year at this time, my husband Paul Hackett was in Iraq fighting.
It wasn't because he supported Bush's war; he'd been against it from the very beginning. His brothers and sisters in the Marine Corps were in Iraq fighting and dying. They made the ultimate sacrifice for their country... and so too did their families
Several weeks ago I suggested to my husband Paul that we film an ad to share our experiences from last year with the people of Ohio. What came out on camera was far more than we had ever expected. We couldn't share our story of last year without expressing our hope for the future.
You can see the ad on our website:
http://www.hackettforohio.com/sacrifice
I was reminded of what things were like just one year ago when Paul was away. He missed our son Liam's first Christmas, our daughter Grace's holiday recital and our son Seamus's first photo with Santa. These are moments Paul will never get to relive... but we were lucky, Paul came home safely.
This year is no different for thousands of families throughout America. The empty chairs at holiday dinner tables represent not just the sacrifice of our brave men and women in Iraq but the sacrifice each of their families continue to make, not just on these special days, but every day.
It's time to reunite our families. Let's bring our troops home as soon and as safely as possible so that every seat at the table is filled.
I hope you like our new ad. It's a message of hope and action that we are happy to share with you and the people of Ohio. But as with Paul's first campaign, he will need your support to make sure that the message is heard. Please watch the video and send it to your friends:
http://www.hackettforohio.com/sacrifice
Paul and I wish you happy holidays and, as he says in the ad, new hope in the New Year.
- Suzi