The War in Iraq & Bush's Meeting with Families of Dead Soldiers
With Bush's approval ratings, especially falling to below 61 percent recently on whether the U.S. should have engaged in the war on Iraq, in an unprecedented move, Bush met with about 900 family members of some 270 soldiers killed in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Keeping stoic and steadfast in his usual my way or no way tone, Bush indicated, as stated below, that the United States would not pull out its troops until Iraq was able to defend itself. In otherwords, no timetable was clearly set.
It has been reported in Newsweek magazine, that Bush's eyes were red, acknowledging the pain and suffering that some of these families were experiencing having lost a son, daughter, husband or wife, brother or sister during the war. He even said, "I am sorry for your loss."
Here is what I do not understand. To my knowledge, more than 1700 lives have been lost in Iraq. Why only meet with family members of some 270 soldiers? Are some soldiers lives worth more or deserving more of the President's attention than others? Cindy Sheehan, a symbol by now, and known as the mother of a soldier killed in Iraq, has camped out in front of Bush's ranch, keeping a vigil, expecting an answer from this President. Although Bush says he sympathies with Ms. Sheehan, he has refused a personal meeting or visit with her.
What are these meetings all about? Are they a publicity ploy to gain public support for a President whose popularity is dwindling, who appears insensitive to the needs of the average American who wants answers to hard questions? Why should he not say he is sorry? Is an apology not in fact expected and necessary? Each man and woman has put his/her life on the line serving in a branch of the military where Bush serves as Commander in Chief. Why is his behavior viewed as something so extraordinary based on a war with a country who was not a threat to the United States?
This war has cost America more than lives and dollars. It has cost us, as a nation, our pride, dignity and a sense of responsibility that we have with other countries, who used to look at us with envy, and now, to some extent shun us with fear and trepidation. In my opinion, China is likely to become the super-power that the U.S. was at one time with its new advances in technology and large intelligent population, and birth control.
Thank you for your minds.
Keeping stoic and steadfast in his usual my way or no way tone, Bush indicated, as stated below, that the United States would not pull out its troops until Iraq was able to defend itself. In otherwords, no timetable was clearly set.
It has been reported in Newsweek magazine, that Bush's eyes were red, acknowledging the pain and suffering that some of these families were experiencing having lost a son, daughter, husband or wife, brother or sister during the war. He even said, "I am sorry for your loss."
Here is what I do not understand. To my knowledge, more than 1700 lives have been lost in Iraq. Why only meet with family members of some 270 soldiers? Are some soldiers lives worth more or deserving more of the President's attention than others? Cindy Sheehan, a symbol by now, and known as the mother of a soldier killed in Iraq, has camped out in front of Bush's ranch, keeping a vigil, expecting an answer from this President. Although Bush says he sympathies with Ms. Sheehan, he has refused a personal meeting or visit with her.
What are these meetings all about? Are they a publicity ploy to gain public support for a President whose popularity is dwindling, who appears insensitive to the needs of the average American who wants answers to hard questions? Why should he not say he is sorry? Is an apology not in fact expected and necessary? Each man and woman has put his/her life on the line serving in a branch of the military where Bush serves as Commander in Chief. Why is his behavior viewed as something so extraordinary based on a war with a country who was not a threat to the United States?
This war has cost America more than lives and dollars. It has cost us, as a nation, our pride, dignity and a sense of responsibility that we have with other countries, who used to look at us with envy, and now, to some extent shun us with fear and trepidation. In my opinion, China is likely to become the super-power that the U.S. was at one time with its new advances in technology and large intelligent population, and birth control.
Thank you for your minds.
18 Comments:
To my knowledge, about 100,000 lives have been lost in Iraq, in this war and the last. You might wonder if this causes any resentment in the Arab world. Or you might ponder America's rich cowboy history of squelching nations that obstruct its growth.
Bush is a guy who just refuses to listen to anyone who doesn't agree with him. Even if he is responsible for the death of their son.
He looks like a complete chicken-sh** for not meeting with her and all the meetings with other families only emphasise how much he is avoiding her. If she feels like she needs to talk to him then he owes it to her to sit down and take it like a man.
I have a really hard time believing he gives a rat's a** about the people who have died over there (American, Iraqi or other) and his behavior toward Ms. Sheehan only reinforces that opinion.
Ms. Sheehan's protest is being organized through the Crawford Peace House. If you are interested there are various ways to help Cindy an the others in Crawford.
www.crawfordpeacehouse.org
I don't think the President has time to meet with every 2 people who want to meet with him for one thng or another. We are talking about a very busy man. The fact that he met with a group of people to fulfill his Presidential duty is no reason to disparage him. That he doesn't want to meet someone who obviously has an agenda is also a no-brainer.
The war in Iraq has caused resentment everywhere. We resent him because our kids are dying, the middle east resents him because their people are dying. The world resents him because he's a horrible diplomat. I'm really suprised he hasn't been killed. JFK did a lot less damage.
Godless mom, I think you hit the nail on the head.
Voltaire said, "love truth, but pardon error."
It is the case that Bush not only refuses to listen to anyone who does not agree with him, but dismisses outright, or changes the subject, or hopes an entire issue will disappear if it cannot be dealt with his way.
Yes, a meeting with anyone who lost their child in this war, regardless of what she/he had to say, would be the true compassionate thing to do, regardless of how busy he is, especially someone who is so upset and fought in a war, supposedly for this country.
Barb,
With all due respect it is unfair for you to say that as a country the war has cost us our pride. Our country has a long hisory that is NOT defined by this President nor by this war.
As a person who had the oppurtunity to CHOOSE to be American (as I am not originally from this country) I am not just proud, but VERY proud of this country. I refuse to let this war reduce the dignity of this country in my mind. I love being American and no matter who happens to be in office right now--I still consider our country to have a lot of dignity.
As far as Bush only meeting with 270 family members of fallen soldiers--there are a lot of family members who probably do not want to meet with the President. Why would they? They believe that their husband/wife/son/daughter/mother/father died doing what was right for our country. Believe or not, A LOT of people believe this way. I come from a family of soldiers, and all of them who fought in wars believed in what they were doing.
I am not pro war, but I am Pro America--full of pride and dignity.
Jen
Thank you Jen for your comments, which are truly appreciated.
Yes, it is probably the case that some people do not want to meet with Bush, because it is too painful for them, or difficult, having lost a relative.
Just to set the record straight, I am an American, and proud to be one as well. This does not mean that I am happy with the direction in which this country is headed.
Doug--
I am not pro Bush--why on earth would you say that? How do my comments about being proud to be American reflect on anyone but myself? They do not reflect on Bush or Kerry, or the Reverend Al Sharpton for that matter.
There are plenty of people who are pro- America but anti Bush. You are sorely mistaken when you twist my words so that you can use a quote and call me a scoundrel.
My patriotism is not worn on my sleeve, but BFC said that the war has cost our contry it's pride, and in my opinion that is simply not true.
Your resident lovely scoundrel-HA
Jen
If anyone is pro-Bush, that is his/her absolute right. I would not want anyone to think that they cannot post on my blog just because they disagree with me.
To me, intolerance is worse than ignorance. Bush lovers are indeed welcome here as well.
Please read this heartfelt message from Elizabeth Edwards, who also lost a son:
Dear Friend,
Casey Sheehan was born May 29, 1979, the first born child of Cindy and Pat Sheehan. It was a long labor. Fifty-one days after Casey was born, our first child, Wade was born, also after a long labor. They started school the same year, played the same games, watched the same television shows, loved the same country. On April 4, 1996, three weeks after going to Washington as a winner in a national contest about what America meant to him, Wade died in an automobile accident. On April 4, 2004, eight years later to the day, Casey, who loved his country enough to wear its uniform, died in Iraq. Cindy and Pat's hearts broke, as had ours.
We teach our children right from wrong. We teach them compassion and honor. We teach them the dignity of each life. And then, sometimes, the lessons we taught are turned on their heads. Cindy Sheehan is asking a very simple thing of her government, and she and her family, and most particularly Casey, have paid a very dear price for the right to ask this.
Cindy wants Casey's death to have meant as much as his life - lived fully - might have meant. I know this, as does every mother who has ever stood where we stand. And the President says he knows enough, doesn't need to hear from Casey's mother, doesn't need to assure her that Casey's is not one small death in a long and seemingly never-ending drip of deaths, that there is a plan here that will bring our sons and daughters home. He doesn't need to hear from her, he says. He claims he understands how some people feel about the deaths in Iraq.
The President is wrong.
Whether you agree or disagree with every part, or any part, of what Cindy wants to say, you know it is better that the President hear different opinions, particularly from those with such a deep and personal interest in the decisions of our government. Today, another voice would be helpful.
Cindy Sheehan can be that voice. She has earned the right to be that voice.
Please join me in supporting Cindy's right to be heard.
I grew up in a military family. My father and my grandfather were career Navy pilots. I saw what it meant to live a life every single day when the possibility of an honorable death is always there, at the dinner table, on the playground, at the base school. Will someone's father not come home tonight? And I didn't just feel the possibility, I saw the real thing, and, believe me, it stays with you, it changes you.
I also saw, then and more recently as I campaigned across this country and spent time with courageous military mothers and wives, how little attention is paid to the needs and the voices of military families. It has to change. The sacrifices that our military men and women make assure us that we have the strongest military in the world, but the sacrifices that their families make are too often ignored. The President's cavalier dismissal of Cindy Sheehan is emblematic of a greater problem. This is a mother who raised her son to love his country enough to serve. This is a mother who lived the impossible life of a mother of a soldier serving in Iraq, unable to sleep when he sleeps, unable to sleep when he is on duty, unable to watch the television, unable to stop watching the television.
And when the worst does happen, when the world comes crashing down and she puts the boy she bore, the boy she taught, the boy she loved in the ground, what does that government say to her? It says we'll do the talking; we don't need to hear from you. If we are decent and compassionate, if we know the lessons we taught our children, or if, selfishly, all we want is the long line of the brave to protect us in the future, we should listen to the mothers now.
Listen to Cindy.
Join me so Cindy knows we believe she has earned the right to be heard.
Elizabeth Edwards
Take Action: Click here to support Cindy Sheehan in her struggle to be heard.
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What a lovely letter written by Elizabeth Edwards. We hear the numbers on the evening news, but every one of the fallen soldiers has a story, and a family, and a legacy.
Doug--no hard feelings. I knew you meant no ill will, but I cannot be called a scoundrel and not have at least a little fun with it!
Jen
Parisjasmal,
It is indeed a lovely letter. Elizabeth Edwards is a great inspiration to me. She lost a son when he was 16.
When I have hit rocky times in my life, some of her words have helped me through the most difficult of all times. I am on her mailing list.
She reminds us that so long as we can breathe, there is always hope. We can make choices and decisions.
this would be the 3rd time meeting with her... he already met with her twice...
funny how she took the pics of the meeting off the family website
Tomorrow night, across the nation there will be candle light vigils in support of ending the war and to give support to Cindy Sheehan. For more information go to: End the War
I am not going to make any political comments. Frankly, I'm tired of this talk about "should we have gone into Iraq" b.s. We're there. Get over it! However, I will say that Bush has, in fact, met with Miss Sheehan already. Now, I believe she is doing this based on whatever agenda she has. Point in fact, it has been shown that many of the protestors there with her are also holding signs saying, "Kick the Jews out of Palestine!" Hmmm...no agenda there. That's it. Oh, btw, Roosevelt didn't meet with any families of soldiers killed in WW2, and the Secretary of Defense printed, not wrote, every letter that went out to families of deceased soldier.
-OC
I honestly don't know where you are coming from on this post. You state things that you can't possibly call facts, like other countries' past envy and current fear and trepidation. I do the same thing on my blog, and open myself up to the same ridicule. I see the Iraq invasion, liberation, and occupation as a neccessary step in the global jihad against Islamofascism, to co-opt an Arab word. I don't understand how anyone could see it any other way.
I don't know if you understand that Pres. Bush is a quite fallible human being, with limited time and resources that he must dedicate to leading a nation of over 250 million people. More people die of drug overdoses in NYC alone (3 per day) than in Iraq, as well as from many other things that the US government has assumed responsibility for "fighting." I don't know what his selection process is for meeting families of war casualties, but I know he doesn't have the time to review each one, and then decide who to meet with. You have an interesting blog, but this post is way off base. Still, a thought-provoking read. Thanks, I'll keep reading.
Doug, I don't want to say this but you are completely blind... EVERYTHING has to do with the Jews, every argument ultimately seems to come back to them...
and are you still going with that "war based on lies"? argument? Jeez, no matter how many times it's pointed out that everyone one the world said the same thing, you will never look past Bush...
I don't care what your politics are, but I'm really starting to doubt that liberals are the enlightened ones, they cannot look past thier feelings and emotions
...go ahead, yeah, i know I'm an idiot, come up with another argument
Bohica is far from an idiot! He is a gentle giant.
I am happy some big old strong guy as jumped in to defend me!!!
Thank you!!!
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