Let Bush and Kerry Lead With their Children Into Iraq and Afghanistan

Let Bush and Kerry Lead With their Children Into Iraq and Afghanistan

By Sam Hamod

It is clear that if Bush really believes in sacrifice for Iraq and Afghanistan, he should send Barbara to Iraq as a U.S. Army soldier and Jenna to Afghanistan as a soldier; in this way, he’ll show that he really believes in these two wars he’s put our young men and women into. If Kerry wants to lead, he should do the same; as should Edwards. Otherwise, they must capitulate and say publicly that Nader, Kucinich and Hagel were, and are right, to withdraw our troops from these two illegal and immoral missions.

This should be followed by Cheney’s kids, if he has any-whatever their age, and then the children of Ashcroft, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Feith, Perle on down the line of the top 50 people in the Bush administration. I also suggest that Senator Frist, Congressman Hastert and other top Republicans and Democrats who think these wars are justified should do the same.

Kenneth Burke said we should see truth by incongruity-but in this case, it is congruity I am seeing by calling for these "leaders" to send their children; after all, they are asking others to send their children, dads, mothers, uncles and aunts. If they see this as a war that may also need a draft to wage them on, then all the more reason to draft their children first (but I prefer to have them volunteer on behalf of their fathers).

I’m sure you see the irony of my suggestion. Not once in a million years would any of these "leaders" put their children in danger, that same danger they are asking hundreds of thousands of others to put themselves into; especially for a war that is not to stop nations from attacking us, nations that have now clearly been proven not to have been a threat or a "growing" or "imminent threat."

BUT I CALL UPON ALL THE READERS OF THIS ARTICLE TO CONTACT THEIR LOCAL CONGRESSMAN OR SENATOR WHO SUPPORTS THESE WARS, TO ASK THESE POLITICIANS AND CANDIDATES TO PUT FORTH THEIR CHILDREN AT THE FRONT OF THE PACK TO SHOW THEIR "PATRIOTISM" AND BELIEF IN THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THESE WARS. AT THE SAME TIME, TELL THEM WE WANT BUSH, CHENEY, KERRY AND EDWARDS TO SEND THEIR KIDS FIRST, AS AN EXAMPLE FOR OTHERS TO FOLLOW.

This is a simple and clear request; it is also reasonable, for no one should send others into wars where they would not send themselves or their children.

NOW, IT’S UP TO ALL OF US TO CALL THESE LEADERS AND CANDIDATES TO EITHER PUT UP OR SHUT UP.

Sam Hamod is former advisor to the US State Department; editor of3 rd World News (Wash, DC); professor at Princeton, Michigan, Iowa & Howard; he may be reached at shamod@cox.net