For anyone who supported the current Iraq war from the beginning, and still do today...?

Question

I'm just curious- do you actually know anybody who was killed over there? If so, were they a close relation? Or did you know of them through other people in your life?

I don't mean to sound hateful with this thought, and I'm sorry if I do, but I don't understand how somebody can lose a close family member or friend and want this to continue. I don't see how pulling out completely shows that these 3,700 or so Americans would suddenly be seen as having been killed in vain.

These advertisements that have recently come on the radio, from mothers of soldiers killed in Iraq, who are wanting this to continue, baffle me. Wouldn't they be empathetic for other mothers whose children are in Iraq, and wouldn't they want those soldiers to stay alive?

Do you feel those mothers are speaking from the heart, or do you think it is their financial gain from doing these commercials, which has let them say anything at all, to continue to lend support to the war effort?

I personally don't have any family in the war, but my friend's daughter and her fiance have both served. My friend's son (his other child) is in the Guard and has not been over yet but I fear he will have to go as well.

An ex-boyfriend of my friend's daughter was killed over in Iraq... he was 19. I can't imagine what his family must be going through.

I don't know the parents personally, so I don't know if their feelings about the war effort have changed or remained the same since their son died.

For those of you who chose to answer my question with nothing but venom, I feel very sorry for you. I tried to make this question as unbiased as possible, and I even put in an apology in my original posting, in case people read my question in a black-and-white perspective. Though yes I did offer my own thoughts in the 2nd paragraph. I even explained my own personal connection, albeit a small one, to the war.

To those of you who have served, I do thank you for your service. I personally believe it is possible to support the troops without supporting the war. If you feel differently, you are of course entitled to your own opinion. But I again thank you, nonetheless.

Answer 1

Good question. I spoke with a guy on Monday who said that the American lives lost are the price paid for terrorists not attacking us here in the USA. I reminded him that Bush was president and that terrorists did attack us on 9/11 while on Bush's watch, and of course, typical of Repubs, he blamed Clinton. What my friend did not have an answer to is whether or not he would allow his ( now 17 and 18 years old ) son and daughter to serve if drafted, as recommended by Lt. General Douglas Lute, a senior policy advisor to the pres. Some people think that all the terrorists have to come through Iraq before they hit the USA and that we have to fight them there. But they also forgot about the 10 jets from LONDON that were intercepted and turned back before landing in NY. If someone still supports the pres, they are simply uninformed are simply unaware of the facts.

Answer 2

Yes, and I lost a very close friend of mine. He was my best friends cousin and we hung out all the time while he was home. His name was Justin Garcia, actually I believe he is on wikipedia. His humvee ran over an IED and he was killed. He wanted to be there and fight the enemy, and when he was home, he said how proud he was to be fighting over there. I know that he was killed doing what he knew was right and died in the name and honor of our country. The Army has been MORE than generous with his widow (also a good friend of mine), giving her, and her new born son (named Justin) enough money that, basically, she wouldn't have to work. She also received so many donations and clothing for the baby that she actually had to give some away to charity because there was just too much. The funeral given by the US Army was simply unbelievable, and everyone there felt so honored by it, and what he has done for us.

Death is a byproduct of war. We can't just not fight the terrorists because we don't feel like losing some soldiers. A soldier at home is perfectly safe. But that's not what soldiers were made for. God bless them and everything they do, and I support them and what they are doing every single day.

chelifan24 - Very well put. No one agrees with every decision a president makes, but he is OUR president. He is the American leader. And I support him, no matter how many anti-war citizens think otherwise.

blueridgeliving - Reported. And if I met you in person, I would ***** slap the **** out of you for your comments.

Answer 3

Yes, I do. Some very dear friends of mine lost their oldest son in Iraq. My 2nd cousins have served - one Army, one Marine - the Marine almost died when they ran over an IED. Fortunately, he was sitting right next to a medic....in spite of what is going on at Walter Reed, I can tell you that my cousin got amazing care from the military. If he's going to exert himself, he has to wear a leg brace, but he barely even limps.

The main reason I still support this war is because the military, for the most part, still supports it. I live in a major military community, and have had the opportunity to talk to many people who have actually served over there. If *they* support it, who am I to question it? It's not *my* *** getting shot at. It's not *my* friends dying in front of me.

I have not heard the commercial, but I will tell you this - my friends have *repeatedly* contacted Cindy Sheehag, asking her to please quit using their son's name in her anti-war propaganda. She REFUSES. I think she's exploiting the grief of others to promote her personal agenda. As long as the other mothers are *not* doing that, I support their right to be heard.

Blueridge - that was WAY out of line. Typical, though - exactly what I've come to expect from the anti-war people. Who in the hell are *you* to question a mother on any issue?!?

Mel - Thank you and your son for your sacrifices. I'm sorry idiots like Blue can't see past their own biases to appreciate the sacrifices military families make. Hope he comes home safely.

Answer 4

Holy crap do you know anything at all or are you just one of those "jump on the bandwagon people"? You are 1st of all not even standing behind your own country or your right to freedom. Maybe we should just have a communist society so all you freaks can cry about something else. Did you forget that 9/11 happened? What do you think we are doing over there exactly? I have a sister who has already been there twice and lots of friends. They would all go back and they all understand the whole point of being there. Why don't we bring all the troops home and then let the terrorists know exactly where all you idiots are so they can come and kill you next. You should be grateful there are still men and women in this country that will defend your right to freedom. Those mothers who have lots sons and daughter's know what is right and wrong and by saying they want the effort over there to continue they are saying they stand behind their country and our efforts as a nation to remain free.

Answer 5

libsticker- thank you for your service to our country. I cant imagine the thing you have done and seen to help our country stay the way it is- free. I support our President 100%. I may not agree with everything he does, but that does not mean I do not support him. We, who sit here safe in our homes, able to see our loved ones everyday take that for granted. I would sure like to see these people against the war- speaking the way they do go over there and fight for our country. I would die for my country with no question. These people who are against the war-to me just seem to hate America. I think if you hate it that much and dont support the President- get out. Go live somewhere else- I am sure Iraq will take you. Sorry your life here is so bad.

I thank each and everyone of the servicemen and women who have put their lives on the line to save us, to help us. I love each and every one of you, and pray for those whose lives have been lost.

Alph Male- thank you. You are appreciated and please stay safe. Words cant express how I feel, knowing that you are there risking your life for our country and how people here can sit here in their homes safe and sound and say such things. I know there is a job to be done, and I have a yellow ribbon around my tree until you all are hom safe, but know that my family supports you, loves you and thanks you- to all of you.

xj- thank you- and you too- I am so very sorry to hear about your friend- I remember him from the news. I am so upset right now- I cant believe that people think like that- I reported that blueridge person too- I hope she can sleep well at night.

Answer 6

I do...to this day I have lost 14 friends and comrades in this war...in both Afghanistan and Iraq...war is something that as Soldiers we all know we might be involved in one day...one thing I use to tell my Soldiers, "Standards are what we live by, this is not the Girl Scouts..." Meaning that if you joined the Army you joined an Organization who's job is to fight and win war and die if need be, not sell cookies...I joined a "Peace Time" Army, if you want to call it that with all the little Civil Wars Clinton sent us into...it was kind of strange going from a "Peace Time" Army to a War Time Army in a matter of minutes on 11 September 2001...if a person joined the Military after 9/11 they knew what they were getting into...there was no mistaking that we were going to take the fight to them...anyone who knows Military Tactics it is easier to fight an offensive war than a defensive one...we as Soldiers know one thing, we will never quit, and we never will...cutting and running is just showing what Bin Laden thought after Clinton pulled us out of Somalia after the death of the Rangers...that the US has no stomach for death, where as the terrorist long for it...I joined the Army when I was 18, so I was a man...what my mother thought was really irrelevant to me...I was doing what I wanted to do, and I was good at it...what many civilians and "Bleeding Heart" types fail to realize is that we know what we are getting into...the fact is a person is more likely to be killed in a car accident going to work than a soldier is being killed in Iraq...does that mean that we should not allow people to drive cars anymore? I love my mother and my father, but the fact is that I am closer to the people I served with than I am with them now...because we have all been through the same things...we all have been away from home on Christmas, on birthdays, anniversaries...or been sent to a far off country to defend what our Country and our President wanted us to...I really hated Clinton, but I did what he told me to do when he sent me to Korea, Haiti, Bosnia, and Kosovo...I did my job to the best of my ability...in other words "I sucked it up and drove on." If I was still in and my mother spoke out about the war like some of these are, I probably would not talk to her much anymore...but that would never happen...my question to all the Anti-War people is: Where were you when I was in Haiti, Bosnia and Kosovo? It was a Civil War Clinton sent us into and Soldiers died, why is this so different? We are grown men and women, so we made the decision to join and to go where we were sent...I feel sorry for these Soldiers mothers, but why are you concerned with them and not the mothers of the soldiers who did doing Clinton's bidding or the ones before? As of right now I am talking with the Georgia National Guard to see if I can get rid of my Medical Retirement and come back in as an Officer...I am doing this because I want to...because I believe in what we are doing, and because our freedom was not won by a person carrying a sign, but by a Soldier carrying a weapon...talk as never solved anything especially an enemy who wants to destroy you and your way of life...I would much rather die than my wife or my mother being killed by a terrorist...

EDIT: I am not giving you a Star because I like you question, I just want the other people on my contact list to see it and respond....

Answer 7

I served two tours and have lost a few of my fellow Marines. I have also been a causality assistance officer and had to tell the Primary next of kin about their love ones death. This is not easy, and we certainly know the price we pay more than most. So I do not take your question lightly as I do most in this forum. Suffice it to say, that these brave Men and Women volunteered and were doing what they believed in. You can question the war, right and wrong, you can sleep at night, knowing that your safe because these brave souls had the courage of their convictions. Generally speaking, we support the war, because we would rather die on the attack, then to have 911 ever occur again. We were attacked, and Saddam and Afghanistan, a few other countries have declared a Jihad on us, and will do what they can to kill our citizens. I would rather die, fighting them on their soil then have them kill another innocent American on our soil.

Answer 8

Yes, I do. And I also know people who died at the Pentagon and I was there in Manhattan on 9/11. There are plenty of distraught mothers to go around. Sticking your head in the sand so that you don't have to see them is not much help.

These terrorists embody evil as it has rarely been seen before. You either oppose this evil or you enable it. There is no middle ground. If we do nothing to oppose it we become part of it. If we do not destroy it, it will destroy us.

Mothers who lost their sons and daughters that were putting themselves on the line to protect us and destroy evil have every right to be proud and to expect that we will finish the war we asked, as a nation, their child to fight. No military personnel should ever die in vain. The only offering suitable to these deserving people is victory!

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Answer 9

I think the future of generations to come is at heart. You can't just think about the here and now.

I personally don't have a close family member in the War, but I do have children that I want to be safe in the future.

Answer 10

specific maximum individuals supported conflict against Iraq, there replaced into nevertheless various human beings against the conflict too. purely like there have been various human beings against conflict with the British for the time of the yank Revolution or the Germans in the time of WW1 and WW2. there'll be human beings against each conflict we combat in, its purely our nature and its reliable. Now in spite of each thing is asserted and completed we ought to ask our self are we and the international greater suitable off without Saddam Hussein? i think we are, going to conflict with Saddam Hussein replaced into no longer a be counted of if yet while, ask bill Clinton who signed American coverage for regime replace in Iraq because of the fact of what a twisted SOB Hussein replaced into and the actuality that he replaced into taking photographs at our jets patrolling the no fly zones conserving the Kurds contained in the North and Shia's contained in the South of Iraq because of the fact of what Saddam did to them murdering 1000's of 1000's of them following the Gulf conflict

Answer 11

The soldiers in Iraq are standing in the gap between a Democratic government in it's infancy and militant muslims who want a muslim theocracy. Merely pulling them out would slam that gap shut before Democracy had a chance.

To blueridgeliving, that is the closest thing to spitting on a soldier as I have ever seen on here. Shame on you!