Carol Korreck: A Soldier’s Mother Challenges Anyone Who Will Listen

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Carol Korreck: A Soldier’s Mother Challenges Anyone Who Will Listen
Submitted by BuzzFlash on Tue, 02/06/2007 - 2:39pm. Reader Contribution
A BUZZFLASH READER CONTRIBUTION
by Carol Korreck

President Bush keeps insisting America needs to "support the troops." What exactly is it that shows support?

Extending tours of duty? Sending soldiers into battle without the proper training and equipment? There is much information to document the shortages — one can Google the recently released Inspector General audit reports to get the details. The extended tours and "back door drafts" are common practice and common knowledge.

Maybe I am beyond frustration, because I do not understand the complacency of "patriotic Americans."

While many sat glued to their television sets on March 19, 2003 and watched the media orgy of "shock and awe" carefully orchestrated with embedded journalists (only allowed to show what would boost public support for the illegal and immoral preemptive war) — I sat dumbfounded, wondering how we had gone from the president saying all diplomatic and peaceful means would be exhausted, to this horrendous display of unprovoked violence and murder.

I couldn’t lose interest after a few days like the general public did. My 21-year-old son was somewhere in the chaos, crammed in a bradlee — little food water or sleep for days as the soldiers made their way from Kuwait to Baghdad.

Maybe that’s why I am dismayed that nothing is being done to stop a man who is not a dictator, and is not a king, and yet is allowed to continue to play "good guy-bad guy," but with real life flesh and blood soldiers, not with little plastic toy soldiers.

These are our sons, daughters wives and husbands. They bleed. They die. Millions of Americans who say they "support the troops" remain so detached from the day to day horrors of this war and occupation that they are ambivalent to the politics responsible for 3100 American deaths.

On May 29, 2006 a record 63.5 million people called or sent a text message to vote for the new "American Idol." While they were casting their votes, Cpl. Jeremy M. Loveless, 25, of Estacada, Ore., died in Mosul, Iraq. He was shot by a sniper during a mission as a medic with the 4th Platoon, A Company, Task force 2-1. He was maintaining security on a Stryker vehicle. Jeremy left behind a wife and 4-year-old daughter.

Also on May 29, Capt. James A. Funkhouser, 35, of Katy, Texas, died in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries sustained when a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during reconnaissance patrol operations. Funkhouser was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas. Alex left behind a wife and two young daughters. His wife voiced this concern:

I know Alex is just one of many, but maybe his death has and will force others to stop and notice when another soldier dies instead of barely paying attention to it in the news.

I think that we are all starting to become immune to all of the death there and everywhere else.
Iraq has been in our lives for the past few years and the deaths just don’t seem to be as important now.
Please don’t let that happen. Take time to notice another soldier fallen. Remember Alex and know that the next soldier is probably someone just like him.
Bobby Muller, a Vietnam veteran who founded "Veterans for America," posted an article in January and one of his points was this:

There’s an increasing bitterness among military members about the disconnect between American society itself and their experience of war. They’re putting their lives on the line, sometimes day after day, but for society at large, it’s like there’s no war going on.
Supporting our troops means getting our elected officials to represent America — not protect their political paychecks. Congress needs to hear loudly and clearly and repeatedly that Americans do not support an escalation.

The majority of Americans no longer support the war. (And may I suggest that those that still do support the war enlist, or encourage their loved ones to enlist and therefore demonstrate their true patriotism instead of just being armchair warriors.) If 63.5 million people could grab a phone to vote for their "Idol," certainly we can rally to call our elected officials and demand that they listen and take action.

I don’t care who is running for office in 2008 and how the war will affect their election efforts. I do care about the 3100 soldiers already dead in this war.

There is enough money already in the budget to bring them home safely. They need real support. Today.

President Bush has never listened to anyone about pre-war planning or post war planning or the futility of a "troop surge." He has no military experience. He does not listen to those who do. He is not an expert on the Middle East. He does not listen to those who are.

He wants to "win." He wants to be a "hero." He is a coward, so he hides behind his "support the troops" banner so he can guilt people into submission.

Wake up America. Look in the mirror — motivate yourself! You are one, but united we are many! Tell yourself you CAN support the troops by getting them out of the middle of a civil war that they cannot win. Their lives depend on you and me — they have been fulfilling their duty as combat soldiers for almost four years now. We need to fulfill our duty as citizens of the United States who demand our military be used as intended — to defend our country.

Every day Bush gets to carry on with his dilusional "visions of grandeur," the results of his abuse of power are being sent home in flag-draped coffins.

Enough is enough.

Pick up the phone. Call your representatives. Write your local newspapers. Call your neighbors. Tell them to call their representatives. Bush is asking for record amounts for his war budget. It’s time to say "No."

A people united can accomplish great things! Believe you can make a difference and get active about reversing the course of action our leaders have chosen for our military and for our tax dollars.

Today.

Now!

You can call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard (202) 224-3121 and ask for your senator’s and representative’s office.

Carol Korreck
Whiteland, IN

A BUZZFLASH READER CONTRIBUTION

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Calling United
Submitted by Victor on Tue, 02/06/2007 - 8:01pm.
OR toll-free: (800) 828-0498, 459-1887 or 614-2803; 24/7!

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