Email: pacifica127@hotmail.com |
I found this poignant letter on Bring Them Home Now. It's a good reminder of the personal cost of war.
Here's the thing though; they've put off getting married until he can be discharged. But there's a wrinkle. She has cancer and is not doing well. Her mother, through the Red Cross, was able to contact the Marine to give him the news and there is an effort to get him home. That, of course, could take time. Who knows how much time either has.
Please take a moment and send up a prayer, or positive energy or whatever you do, for these two good people who deserve better and are living very challenging lives. Perhaps visit Marine Girl's blog, Across the River, and leave some good thoughts directly with her.
When I see WWII vets at memorials and their eyes are welling up with emotion, I think of my dad because late in his life he could not speak of the war without his own eyes welling up in the same manner. Time does not necessarily heal all wounds.
As you probably know, yesterday the three-member Benton County Commission voted 2 to 1 to grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples. They will begin issuing licenses next Wednesday morning. I have to admit, the report made me smile, but I also realize the civil rights fight for the LBGT community has a long way to go.
It's been about a year since the start of the Iraq War. March 19th to be exact. I remember clearly because my husband and I had just returned home from a night out celebrating our 26th wedding anniversary. We sat down to watch the evening news and learned that the US had just bombed Baghdad. My heart sank to my stomach. Bush's war had begun.
What a shame that the president and his platoon of let's-get-Saddam neocons, Congress and the CIA's Tenet didn't listen to the man-in-the-know when he cautioned: "U.S. and Iraqi casualties will be significant. ... We can't go to war based on ignorance."
But go to war we did. And now we've filled more than 530 body bags, medevaced thousands of soldiers, caused thousands more to be psychologically scarred, created tens of thousands of Iraqi casualties and stuck ourselves dead center in an ever-deepening tar pit.
On the wall above where he slept, near the academic medals and baseball caps hanging from the bedposts, he had affixed the emblem of the U.S. Marine Corps, whose uniform he wore when an Iraqi artillery shell struck his armored vehicle near Baghdad and killed him.
Lance Cpl. Andrew Julian Aviles was just 18, preparing for his freshman year at Florida State University, when his country called on him to do a man's job. He had committed to the Marine Corps Reserves before his senior year at Robinson High School in south Tampa, before the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, before there was any talk of invading Iraq.
Less than a year after leading the Pledge of Allegiance at his high school graduation, the former student council president and cheerleader found himself preparing to cross the Tigris River last April 7 in the siege of Baghdad. He never made it. "It's a big waste of his life," said Andy's father, Oscar Aviles, who still struggles to contain his anger and resentment. "He probably could have done anything he wanted to do in life. Because he had the intelligence, he had the capability and he had the discipline to do whatever he set his mind on."
A member of the ROTC in high school, Andy Aviles waved off suggestions that he apply for a military academy appointment. Too much structure. The gregarious, charismatic teenager hankered for what he called "the full college experience."
Ann (not her real name) was married to her first husband shortly after she graduated from college. This was in right before the first Gulf War. Her new husband had been in ROTC in order to help pay for college and therefore, went immediately into the army after graduation.
He was sent to the Gulf (Gulf War I) to participate in the attack against Iraqi forces where he was killed early in the war. Ann had worked on the base where her husband had been stationed and met another soldier who was a career man. They eventually married.
Ann and her second husband had two children, and then things went sour in their relationship. They divorced and he remarried.
Afghanistan, because of its direct link to 911 is the less controversial war of the two and even though most of us here did not agree with the Iraq war, we all support the war in Afghanistan, right? I've heard very few negative comments about our invasion of Afghanistan even though 3400 innocent civilians died as a result. It is a war I, for one, did NOT support.
No, I'm not a pacifist despite what my name (Pacifica) implies. I'm just not sure that fighting an unconventional opponent with conventional means is wise. I have a sneaking suspicion that the way we are conducting the "War on Terrorism" will not lead us to ultimate victory and a more peaceful world. Quite the opposite, I fear.
I guess what I'm trying to get at is this. The 911 terrorists were able to inflict a hell of a lot of damage with relatively little money by being creative and unpredictable. Our response since 911 has seemed pretty darn predictable to me. What did we do? We built up our forces (you can't exactly hide thousands of soldiers on your borders), bombed the heck out of things and then sent in the "cavalry". As soon as we were able, we formed a puppet government that may or may not survive and then, in our attention deficit haphazard foreign policy way, we moved on to another venture. No real surprise. It seems to be the American way.
12/31/03:
Another year ends today, a year full of important events in the lives of the American people and especially many Latino families like mine. Exactly one year ago my entire family was gathered together, ready to enjoy a meal prepared by my wife and daughters. My son, Jesus, was so happy with his wife and their son Erick. Everyone sat around the table and we counted the 12 tollings of the bell and ate the traditional 12 grapes, hoping that the new year 2003 would be full of joy, peace, love, and prosperity for all. We embraced and wished each other much happiness for 2003. I recall that my daughter Olivia told me, "Dad, you will have many opportunities this year," and Jesus told me "Father, Thank you for educating me. I am a Marine now and I hope to do well so that you will be proud of me." I answered him that I was already proud of him, that I had always been proud, and that I hoped he would achieve his goals together with his wife and son.
And so that terrible year began with much hope for the entire family, for the American people, and especially for all Californians. And February arrived with its rumors of war and with the stubborness and inflexibility of Mr Bush who insisted on attacking Iraq. The UN could not use its authority nor the rule of law to stop him and so the world waited with fear as Bush declared that according to intelligence the regime in Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction. On the fifth of February, Jesus bid us farewell and headed towards his destiny in the faraway lands of Iraq. As he said goodbye we embraced alone outside in the driveway of our home. It was diffcult for me to hold back my tears but he was optimistic and with great clarity he told me, "Father, do not fear, nothing will happen to me, we are well trained and well prepared. But if something does happen please take care of my son and educate him as you did me." He climbed in the car with his wife and son at 9 p.m.
March arrived, the nineteenth to be exact, when American troops began their offensive against Iraq. The war began without the support of the UN, without the support of the American people, without the support of the world community--a war started by Mr Bush who lied to the American people and to the world community. Mr Bush insisted that Iraq was a threat to the US and the whole world and unfortunately many believed him and so the deaths began. And on March 27 a young Mexican boy fell, full of hopes and dreams, deceived by the government, a good boy who had more important work ahead, a son to love, raise and educate. Yes, Jesus Alberto Suarez de Solar Navarro, the Aztec Warrior, died because of the negligence of the US military command in Iraq. A US cluster bomb had been dropped the night before but Delta Company was not advised and so the tragedy took place and two hours passed before helicopters could evacuate him. He did not die alone but rather he died with his friends, his brothers, and their love surrounding him. He died free of hate and in peace.
April 11 arrived--the day the Aztec Warrior was sowed, yes sowed because he is a seed for peace for future generations. We all wept because of his loss and his absence but his mother, my wife, suffers the most, she who bore him, took care of him when he was ill, who taught him to respect me and to love me. She is the one who has suffered the most.
And the rest of 2003 passed by and many more brave American youth have died and with them their dreams until we have almost reached 500 dead American troops and thousands and thousands of innocent Iraqis.
And December 4 arrived, my grandson's birthday, and I found myself in the exact place where my Aztec Warrior fell. And I placed a crucifix, said a prayer, and gathered the earth where his blood ran. I fulfilled my promise to my wife that I would find that sacred spot, and during my time in Iraq I could see and witness that my son was right to say that the children of Iraq were the ones who really needed our help. And I could witness as I visited the hospitals and shortages of medicine the lack of economic assistance provided by the Bush administration. And in the schools I could see that the children are eager to learn but do not have what they need to get ahead and the Bush administration offers them nothing. I could feel it in the streets of Baghdad where shoeless children whose parents died in the war offered me a smile in exchange for a friendly word, a kiss in exchange for letters from American children. In short, I could see that the liberation of the Iraqi people has cost them a great deal and it has cost the US as well.
And December 14 arrived, the day the dictator and murderer Saddam Hussein was captured. And Mr Bush tells us that at last we have him, that peace has arrived for the Iraqi people, but in the ensuing days the deaths of young Americans increase and Mr Bush continues to lie to us, continues violating international law, claiming that Saddam will be treated as a prisoner of war and tried under international law only to tell us days later that the Iraqi people must try and sentence him. What about international law? Why does Bush fear an international tribunal?
And so we arrive to the present, the 31st of December, the end of this terrible and unhappy year 2003 and what do we find? That everywhere, in every city and in every family, there is joy, optimism, and the usual New Year's Eve custom of conveying our best wishes. This is why I have taken the liberty to write this letter in order to tell you that it is imperative that in this coming year of 2004 we be cautious and very focused in our actions, for this is the beginning of a presidential election year in this great nation. And we must do everything in our power to make sure that Mr Bush is not reelected and to ensure that he does not steal the election. I invite everyone to reflect on recent events that have cost so many lives, jobs, broken families, economic ruin, and do all we can to defeat Bush, a defeat that is in the best interest of the American people and world peace.
The hope of my entire family is that God will grant you the health and strength to continue this struggle.
In peace,
Fernando Suarez de Solar
P.S. I wish to thank all those who have offered their support, friendship, and warmth. I cannot name everyone and do not want to forget anyone. But you know who you are.
I would also like to thank the representatives of the media who have covered my activities in the service of peace.
POR UNA GENERACION LLENA DE PAZ Y AMOR!!
EL GUERRERO AZTECA
May God Bless all of you.
posted 03 jan 2004
There are countless reasons we are working for a Bush defeat in November. The war in Iraq is at the top of my list.
......
Like the neoconservatives of today, Strauss was not himself a religious man, yet espoused religion as a means of ensuring order for the people who would, without religion, be uncontrollable. Irving Kristol, describing the Straussian contribution to neoconservative thought, remarked that neoconservatives are "pro-religion even though they themselves may not be believers." They are pro-religion only because they believe religion is a useful tool for maintaining order and control over a society.
Strauss wrote that "mankind is intrinsically wicked" and therefore has to be governed. Before man can be governed, he opined, men must be united; and the only way in which humans can be united is when they are united against other people. The neoconservative's demonization of Muslims and Arabs should be understood in this context. The constant series of security alerts and warnings of impending attack by terrorists is merely an instrument to unite the people behind an easily visualized enemy.
Their contemptuous attitude towards the "populist" masses is reflected in the countless lies told to the American people by the neoconservatives. The argument that Iraq had a connection to September 11 is now admitted to have been spurious. The claim that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction has been proven to have been almost certainly false. The claim that Saddam was capable of launching an almost immediate attack on America and Europe was untrue. The idea that the entire Iraqi invasion and occupation could be retrospectively justified by Saddam's past human rights violations insults the intelligence of every American and provides a textbook example of Straussian contempt for the easily-duped and manipulated public.
Put simply: the neoconservatives, their press, and their think-tanks are liars. They lie not because it is merely politically expedient, but because the "noble lie" is an intrinsic part of Straussian political philosophy and is needed to hoodwink the American people into supporting a war that is against both the national interest and the foreign policy trajectory established by America's Founding Fathers.
Don't you feel better knowing that such wise and noble individuals are mapping out our futures? I know that, as one of the unwashed masses, I am so uncontrollable I welcome the intervention of neocon policies that restrict my freedoms and create perpetual wars (for my own good, of course). I mean what did our Founding Fathers know anyway. We don't need our constitutional freedoms. We don't need to be well-informed participants of this "democracy". We don't need to know the truth. We need arrogant self-righteous misguided neocons leading the way...NOT!
Oh, and have a nice day.
I have been a Republican my whole life and beliefs of liberty, small government, reverence for the Constitution and a fiscal discipline are typical among people who think like I do. But the politicians who said they believed in these concepts are nowhere to be seen. Above all, President Bush, who ran on the platform of "Not Believing in Nation Building," is currently building two, and no Republican seems to care."
I initially supported the war in Iraq, but now I must admit that if it were my son killed in that helicopter crash, patriotism is not the only feeling that I would be experiencing. The wars we have fought lately have not instilled in me a belief that these people are dying for their country as much as for their president's agenda -- and I wonder why I am so willing to support a war that is justifiable enough to risk the lives of other people's children, but nowhere near justifiable enough to risk the lives of my own.
What will happen with the military vote.
Zinni has picked his shots carefully -- a speech here, a "Nightline" segment or interview there. "My contemporaries, our feelings and sensitivities were forged on the battlefields of Vietnam, where we heard the garbage and the lies, and we saw the sacrifice," he said at a talk to hundreds of Marine and Navy officers and others at a Crystal City hotel ballroom in September. "I ask you, is it happening again?" The speech, part of a forum sponsored by the U.S. Naval Institute and the Marine Corps Association, received prolonged applause, with many officers standing.
The U.S. military have been royally screwed by this administration. Some may decide to forgo voting this time, rather than voting for Bush. Even if they don't vote for the Democratic candidate either, there would be fewer votes coming Bush's way, right?
And then there's the Dean factor. Many Dean supporters (and you know who you are) may not have voted in any previous election. You speak so eloquently for yourselves, I feel I need not say more on this subject.
So, what do you think: Is there something to this or am I connecting the wrong dots to the wrong places?
We spent several days at the beach before Christmas. It's something I've always wanted to do but other obligations always prevented me. Originally, we were going to spend Christmas Day there as well, but as it turns out restaurants shut down on Christmas Day, and we would have starved had we stayed. Well, okay, slight exaggeration. The good restaurants would have been closed and I really didn't want yuck food on Christmas, so we drove home the afternoon of the 24th.
Our hotel served a continental breakfast and therefore, I quickly dubbed it my dream beach hotel. Serving anything but clean towels is unusual for beach accommodations. Sometimes getting a clean towel is even pushing it. (We only stay at high-class establishments.) The breakfast area was in a corner of the hotel lobby and had a large TV blaring. Guess what was on. You guessed it. Fox News! I think I made some rude passive aggressive comment that included the words Fox network and "Tabloid TV". Anyway the next two mornings they had on CNN instead of Fox. Do you think it was something I said?
I bought an Oregonian newspaper and turned to LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. It's my favorite page. Sometimes letters are profound or funny. At other times they're just plain annoying. Anyway, this was the first letter:
Bush restores credibility
Recent comments in this paper by the anti-bush crowd have prompted me to respond:
True, we have not found weapons of mass destruction yet! But Iraq is a country as big as the state of Texas and there are a lot of places to hide anything. It takes time to search.
That is not the only reason we are there. We are there to enforce the United Nations resolutions.
We know (Saddam Hussein) had WMD during and after the Gulf War. So if they aren't there, where are they? If these weapons find their way into the hands of any terrorist with a grudge against the United States, he would not hesitate to use them!
Even though I'm a registered independent, I would rather have a president like George W. Bush than I lying figurehead like Bill Clinton. He so tarnished the office of the president that it takes somebody like Bush to restore credibility to that office.
PATRICK RILLEY
Southeast Portland
Huh? Iraq the size of Texas? I thought it was the size of California. We were there to enforce the UN resolutions? Yeah, right. Lying figurehead like Bill Clinton? Was this guy sleeping through the whole yellowcake, aluminum tube conversation? For my peace of mind I decided to forgo buying another newspaper during our stay.
On Monday, we had lunch at a deli walking distance from our hotel. While we were waiting to be served I noticed some sacks on a rack. These must have been take-out because they had names written on the side. On one I saw the name DEAN. I pointed this out to my husband and asked, "Do you think this is an omen?"
The weather was warm. The wind was calm. I read two books. We had long walks on the beach. On Christmas Eve we left for home in a thunderstorm.
Christmas Day was quiet and uneventful. Instead of exchanging presents this year, my husband and I gave each other what we really needed: A day without time schedules, obligations, people to please or places to go. For me, it was the perfect Christmas.
I hope you all had a great day.
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