Today I returned to the United States from a 15-month deployment to Iraq, hopefully for good. When I joined the army in June of 2003, I had no idea how my decision would affect my life. I knew that I would go to war, it was 9/11 that pushed me to forego college for a 6 year stint in the army, but I never expected to deploy not once, but twice, in order to fight a war based on moral and legal positions that were, at best, questionable. I had no idea that I would be faced with a choice between either fighting a Congressionally authorized war or fighting against the apparent collapse of democracy and representational government. Thankfully, I am nearly done trying to decide between those two positions. After today, I am officially finished fighting the war in Iraq, and I’m out of the army in just over half a year. But my seperation from the armed forces doesn’t mean that I’m done fighting.
There are way too many problems in America for any person to lay down in exhaustion. I, for one, am not finished fighting. There is a lot that needs to be done and, while I’m only one pair of hands, I’m a pair of hands that is no where near done fighting.
I’m not done fighting to get a Congress that speaks for me.
In November of 2006 I, along with many others, celebrated as I watched the results of the Congressional elections roll in. From my vantage point in Baghdad, the elections seemed to be an obvious success. I knew that a lot would change once the Democrats took power. I could not have been more wrong. Since that time, Congress has approved the “surge,” stood by silently while the Army moved to 15-month tours (I should have been home three months ago), and refused to even pretend to keep anyone in the administration accountable for their horribly misguided policies regarding Iraq. I suppose it would be easy for me to throw up my hands in disgust and leave politics to the more patient, but I refuse to do that. I must confess that I have not been as diligent in my letter writing as I might be, but I’m back from Iraq now. I’ve got more time to fight for what matters.
I’m done fighting for a President that speaks for me.
If there is anything to learn from the last two presidential elections, it is that no election is a lock. We should have won in both 2000 and 2004. (I know Gore technically won, but it shouldn’t have even been that close.) Too many in the party listened to the consultants and the DLC and drove the liberal movement into the ground. No more. Whoever wins the nomination, they know that they will be held accountable by the netroots. Whether the nominee is Clinton, Obama, Edwards, or (let my heart be still) Gore, there will be no more pandering to the right. The way to win is not to move to the right wing; the way to win is to move to the right policy. I’m going to do everything I can to make sure that whoever runs in my name speaks to the issues that are important to me.
I’m not done fighting for my rights.
For so many reasons, FISA is a tough battle. Too many of those Senators and Representatives we elected in 2006 are afraid to challenge anything connected to national security. But it’s time that FISA got turned around. The old rules were more then sufficient, and the new rules leave far too much room for abuse. I want accountability, and I want it now.
I’m not done fighting for my sister’s rights.
It’s been a long time since a woman’s right to choose was so tenuous. The balance in the Supreme Court has shifted drastically to the right. Whatever the relative merits of the person who eventually wins the democratic nomination, I at least know that they will nominate judges who will defend Roe v. Wade. But beyond the election, there is so much else that can be done. I’m only beginning to learn the many ways that I can help fight this battle. I haven’t done much more than talk about choice before, but I’m back from Iraq and I’m ready for a fight.
I’m not done fighting for equal rights.
I’m tired of an administration that diverts money away from defending equal rights and spends in on the religious right. I’m tired of ignorance being allowed to play such a key role in the debate over gay marriage. I’m tired of minorities struggling to graduate from crappy schools while the privileged prepare for college. I’m tired of pretending that there is no discrimination in America. It’s there. I’m going to fight against it.
And I’m sure as hell not done fighting the war.
Of course, I’ll be fighting in a little different way. I’ll be fighting against its very existence. The time to debate the start of the war is over. The war began, now it’s time to stop it. Intelligent men and women can disagree about the correct course from here, but we can all agree that the course should end in American withdrawal and that the course to withdrawal should be relatively short. There are those who will push for and immediate pull –out, others will push for a phased transition towards Iraqi forces. Whatever course we take, we need to take it now before any more soldiers die. We need to take it now before any more marriages are destroyed. We need to take it now before any more fathers miss their son or daughter’s first year of life. We need to take it now before we rack up any more unnecessary debts for our children and grandchildren to pay off. We need to take it now.
Several weeks ago I heard a particular General speak. He told us that years from now we would be able to point to Iraq on the map and tell our grandchildren where we had fought for democracy. After I swallowed the small amount of puke that had surfaced in my mouth, I decided that he was half right. I will be able to point to Iraq on the map, that part is true. But I doubt I’ll be pointing to it as a place where democracy prevailed. More likely, I’ll be pointing to one place where American Democracy failed. Over the last several years I’ve spent a total of 19 months in unwilling support of that failure, but I’m done fighting that fight. It’s time for a new fight.
My name is Nameless Soldier and I’m here to fight.