I cry

As I was watching the morning news, there was an interview of the “raw recruits” bring sent to Iraq. A young man, who looked as if he should be shooting hoops at a high school game, was asked who the enemy was, and he had to think before saying the Iraqis. His voice raised at the end. He seemed to have little idea of why he was going.

A young woman was more sure. She was going to fight the Iraqis because “they hate our values.” Obviously she had heard the line but had never questioned why they hated our values or even if it were true. Obviously critical skills were not something developed in her school system and I suspect she knows even less history.

Both these kids may be killed or maimed. If they come back alive, they will see atrocities that no one should witness. Not only has the US failed them in their education, it has failed them in asking them to fight in this war.

And once again I cried for the horrendousness of what the US has done, which is far greater than anything that was ever done to us.

I cry for the American soldiers who have committed atrocities.

I cry for the American soldiers who have died for nothing.

I cry for the American soldiers who are forever wounded in body and/or soul.

I cry for the millions of Iraqi refugees who are seeking refuge all over the world. Sadly after destroying their homes, the US is doing little to help them. Neither is the UN.

I cry for the thousands and thousands of Iraqi children dead and maimed at US hands. Don’t ever try and tell me the enemy is bad because they kill innocents and children. So do we and more of them.

I cry for the stupidity of the people who believed the lies.

I cry for a war of choice.

I cry for the loss of rights.

I cry for the ignoring of international law.

I do not exaggerate when I say I cry. Real tears flow at the waste, stupidity, the cruelty.

My goal now is to contact every single senator and congressman by phone or email and tell them to stop the war. I always use the line ‘I am an expat and I vote’ whenever I contact our alleged leaders.

Will it do any good?

Probably not, but I have to. I cannot live with myself if I do nothing to stop this catastrophe however limited.