- On Friday, April 15, 2005, I stood in front of our local
Court House protesting the War in Iraq. It was tax day and we were trying
to make a point about how our tax dollars were being used. Many cars passed
by and gave us an approving honk. Other drivers gave us a disapproving
3rd finger. Some of the cars had "support our troops" proudly
displayed on their rears.
-
- Support our troops? Does anyone question those words
when they mindlessly slap the bright yellow sticker on their vehicle? What
do those words mean? Is the "rah-rah" supporter aware of why
we are in Iraq? Has anyone told these cheerleaders that the Iraqis did
not fly any planes into the World Trade Center? Has anyone told the "yellow
ribbon crowd" that there were no Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq?
Can someone tell me what "support our troops means?"
-
- Last week our small county had its first fatality in
Iraq. Before leaving for Iraq in January, Army Spc. Manny Lopez had his
wife record him reading bedtime stories to their newborn daughter, Isabella.
Lopez made the video diary so Isabella wouldn't forget her father while
he was in Baghdad for 18 months with the 3rd Battalion of the 7th Infantry
Regiment. The two-hour videocassette is now the only memory Isabella has
of her father. He was killed by a rocket-propelled grenade.
-
- After the tragedy hit the newspaper, grief stricken people
called the local radio station to give voice to their pain. One woman uttered,
through her tears, "He died for our freedom."
-
- He died for our freedom? Perhaps I have been sufficiently
dumbed down, but, as I stumble around in my flouride induced fog, I wish
someone would help me understand how killing innocent people in Iraq (and
Afganistan) is keeping us free? What has sending soldiers to be poisoned
and to die have to do with "keeping us free?." In my lexicon
of logic, the belief that "he died for our freedom " is just
about as meaningless as "support our troops."
-
- On April 15th, we carried signs in front of the Court
House. I chose a sign that featured a picture of an Iraqi Vet named Herold
Noel. Unlike Manny Lopez, Herold Noel came home from the war. In fact,
he came home a hero.....but it was not long before he wound up homeless.
-
- Byron Pitts of CBS News did a report on Herold Noel on
March 25, 2005.
-
- When "Iraqi Freedom" first began, Private First
Class Herold Noel was a soldier in the U.S. Army's 3rd Infantry Division,
pounding a path into Baghdad. "I fought for this country, " he
said "I shed blood for this country. I watched friends die."
-
- Herold began living in his jeep after most of his clothes
and all of his military medals were stolen at a homeless shelter. He put
in applications for housing but was told, three times, that they were lost.
-
- "I have three kids. I fought for my country. My
country shouldn't be doing this to me."
-
- Mr Pitts' report talked about how the vets are coming
home with mental health issues and substance abuse problems.
-
- "Mental health issues?" Once again, I am going
to have to admit ignorance. That phrase is amorphous and ambiguous. I cannot
help but wonder how many of these "mental health issues" are
manifestations of depleted uranium.
-
- http://www.sfbayview.com/081804/Depleteduranium081804.shtml.
-
- Leuren Moret is a geoscientist who has worked around
the world on radiation issues, educating citizens, the media, members of
parliaments and Congress and other officials Ms. Moret calls "Depleted
uranium: Dirty bombs, dirty missiles, dirty bullets: A death sentence here
and abroad."
-
- A Japanese professor, Dr. K. Yagasaki, has calculated
that 800 tons of DU is the atomicity equivalent of 83,000 Nagasaki bombs.
The U.S. has used more DU since 1991 than the atomicity equivalent of 400,000
Nagasaki bombs. Four nuclear wars indeed, and 10 times the amount of radiation
released into the atmosphere from atmospheric testing!
-
- No wonder our soldiers, their families and the people
of the Middle East, Yugoslavia and Central Asia are sick.
-
- http://www.rense.com/general63/dub.htm
-
- "The long-term effects have revealed that DU (uranium
oxide) is a virtual death sentence," stated Arthur N. Bernklau, executive
director of Veterans for Constitutional Law in New York. "Marion Fulk,
a nuclear physical chemist, who retired from the Lawrence Livermore Nuclear
Weapons Lab, and was also involved with the Manhattan Project, interprets
the new and rapid malignancies in the soldiers (from the 2003 Iraq War)
as 'spectacular -- and a matter of concern!'"
-
- http://www.rense.com/general63/11.htm
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- Herold Noel was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress
Disorder. Unemployed and married with three kids, he couldn't get a job.
-
- "Take two Prozacs and call me in the morning."
-
- Waking people up from the nightmare is not easy. They
are plugged into a controlled media and nod hypnotically as the pResident
talks about the "war on terror" They sing "Proud to Be An
American" as they continue to mindlessly display their yellow ribbons
and fly their flags. They do not question the horror behind these symbolic
gestures?
-
- While the people busily "support the troops"
what does the government do? Does our government "support the troops"
as it cuts their benefits? Does the government "support our troops"
when it sends them into battle with inadequate equipment? Does the government
"support the troops" when it turns its back on the casualties
of the war? Does the government "support the troops" as it casts
Herold Noel and countless others onto the streets.
-
- Henry Kissinger, in an honest moment (forgive the oxymoron)
stated the globalists' true feelings about our troops. After the Vietnam
war, when our soldiers came home ill from Agent Orange, Mr. "Killinger"
stated "Military men are just dumb, stupid animals to be used for
foreign policy."
-
- Is that Mr. Kissmyass's definition of the phrase "support
our troops?"
-
- Not long ago, I watched a powerful movie on television.
It was called "Homeless to Harvard" and was based on a true story
of a young girl, Liz Murray, whose both parents were drug addicts dying
of AIDS. After dropping out of school and living on the street, this heroic
young woman became determined to get an education. Though she ate out of
dumpsters and slept on the subway, she ultimately finished High School
in two years and got a New York Times Scholarship to Harvard University.
It was a deeply moving story. It was a story filled with hope. And yet,
it was obviously unique. Most young people in Liz's situation succumb to
a life of hopelessness.
-
- On Friday, April 15th, I stood in front of our local
Court House protesting war. Yet, in my case, the protest was aimed at all
the wars...past present and future. My protest was aimed at the abuse of
people all around the globe. My protest was aimed at the lies and deception
and greed of the globalists and the sadly hypnotized populace that is willing
to kill and be killed without knowing why.
-
- I carried a sign that had a picture of Herold Noel. The
sign read "From Hero to Homeless." It was a story filled with
despair. Sadly, Herold's story, unlike Liz', is not unique. As many as
275,000 veterans will likely sleep out in the cold tonight.
-
- Copyright 2005 Judy Andreas
- JUDE10901@AOL.com
- www.judyandreas.com
-
-
- Comment
- From Jane Bright
- 4-21-5
-
- Dear Judy,
-
- Thank you for your wonderful article. Unfortunately,
most Americans have not suffered the losses in the Iraq war that many of
the families have suffered. I say unfortunately because, until the occupation
of Iraq becomes much more up close and personal to all Americans, we will
continue rolling along in our SUVs with our "Support the Troops"
stickers on the back, thinking that is all we have to do.
-
- My son, SGT Evan Ashcraft, was also killed by an RPG,
on July 24, 2003. It was a direct hit on Evan and there was no way he
could survive it. I found out two nights ago from a soldier who was on
the scene when Evan was killed that he was protecting an oil field near
Al Hawd, Mosul, Iraq. So my son did, indeed, die for oil.
-
- Our only way to get through the day-to-day unspeakable
pain of losing him was to set up a foundation in his memory. We had to
make some good come out of the profound loss of my dear beautiful son.
Here is his website <http://www.evanashcraft.org/>www.evanashcraft.org.
We are linking now with Disabled American Vets, Army Emergency Relief
and a new group called Veterans and Families. We the citizens are doing
what our government will not do, take care of our service men and women
when they return.
-
- Peace and blessings,
-
- Jane Bright
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