Essays and Poems
| Gold Star Families for Peace/Eyes Wide Open and Darell Ankarlo | Link to Photo Essay about Sherwood Baker by Theo Rigby PixelPress.org |
Where do I Live?
One very positive aspect of my public anti-war, pro-peace stance is that it has put me in contact with so many people all over the world. I believe that my willingness to share my heart and tragic story (and in the process, tell the truth) helps people open up to me in ways that they cannot do with another. In the past few days, I have been bombarded with horror stories about what our government is doing to innocent Americans. I was driving from one event to another the other day, and I got a call from an Iranian woman who is now a citizen of the United States, and who has been in the US for 30 years, is married to an American, has a 5 year old son, and a brother who has been in prison for 9 months for wanting to serve America. My new Iranian/American friend, I will call her Susie, since her family is in danger of reprisal, told me that her brother signed up for the National Guard to give something back to the country that he has adopted as his own. He was lied to by his recruiter, who said he could have his student loans paid off and become an American citizen within a year. He also has severe learning disabilities and his recruiter falsified his test scores and his application. Susie’s brother was told that the mistakes would be "corrected" before the application was turned in. Like my KIA son, Casey, Susie’s brother naïvely trusted his recruiter. One day, Susie’s brother, who was at that time in training as a chemical specialist, was sitting in class, when FBI agents came in and hauled him off to prison. He was told it was because he went to Iran twice after 9/11 (his country of birth and his family’s country), and because he falsified his application to get in the National Guard. Susie’s brother thought going into the National Guard was going to be a good and admirable thing, and he was deceived and betrayed. He didn’t get his student loans paid off, he didn’t get citizenship, but he did get thrown in jail without proper legal representation. Susie called her state’s senators to see if they could help her and her brother and she was told to quit making trouble, or her entire family would be investigated. Then yesterday when I was traveling from event to event again, I got another phone call from a hysterical mom, Summer, whose son had been killed in Iraq in April of this year. Her medic son was found face down on his bunk with some morphine bottles around him. Summer was told that he died of a drug overdose and the report stated that her daughter-in-law and her son’s battle buddies all said that he abused drugs in Iraq. Summer was devastated. She knew her boy. She knew her son didn’t take drugs. She finally got a hold of the reports that contradicted what she was told by the military. All of the people interviewed said her son DID NOT abuse drugs. She received the toxicology report 2 months after her son died and he DID NOT have any drugs in his system. How did Summer’s son die and why is the Army trying to cover it up? Wasn’t it bad enough that this government took Summer’s son and killed him in an unjust, immoral, and illegal war? They had to lie to her, too? This weekend, I also spent time at Kevin and Monica Benderman’s house at Ft. Stewart, Ga. Kevin, a conscientious objector, who refused to go back to Iraq with the 3rd Infantry Division and kill innocent people and participate in other war crimes, was convicted in his court-martial on July 28th of "missing movement" and he was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison. Kevin was obviously made an example to other soldiers who are also thinking of protesting this obscene occupation by refusing to kill blameless people, or die themselves. From the testimony that was given by the prosecution at the court-martial, it is clear that witnesses lied about Kevin and documents were falsified. I hate to see a brave, honorable, and patriotic American like Kevin railroaded to federal prison for standing up for what he knows is moral and correct. What makes Kevin’s treatment even worse is that those who are responsible for killing and maiming tens of thousands of innocent people and for the destruction of an innocent country are roaming around the world free to unleash more death and pandemonium. For my effort in trying to awaken America to the dirty tricks and fraud of our government and for trying to call attention to the fact that thousands of people are dying and in harm’s way in Iraq for the lies, I am often called a traitor, terrorist supporter, Jane Fonda, unpatriotic, etc. I am called names that contain words that good Christian supporters of George should not even know, let alone use. I am accused of not supporting the troops, and people tell me that Casey would be spinning in his grave on which I am alternately: spitting, pissing, or s*itting on. What has happened to America? What has happened to our freedoms? Where did sanity go? Where is the due process that we have always been entitled to? Why do people feel free to castigate the mother of a "war hero" for exercising her freedom of speech and why does our leadership feel free to lie to mothers of "war heroes"? Why aren’t the liars being held to the same standards as the people who are trying to expose them? Stories like the above are becoming more and more common in the USA. The un-Patriot Act and the total disregard for the Constitution by nearly everyone who holds an elected or appointed position in our federal government is starting to hit too close to home for many people. When will the rest of America finally come out of its coma? When, God forbid, the jack-booted thugs come pounding on their door some midnight? People like the Bendermans, Summer, Susie, and her brother should be defended and supported by every true American. The injustice of what is happening to some good, hard working and honest Americans is overwhelming, unfair, and un-American. Ben Franklin said: "Those who would sacrifice essential liberties for a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." We are rapidly becoming a nation with neither. We should demand both, and refuse to give up any of our liberties or our security. These things are our birthrights. Please don’t give up yours. I am not giving up mine. |
| Wednesday, June 1, 2005, Assembly, PAC, LHS
Last Words to Our Young Ones Old Enough to Hear Hard Thoughts from an Old Teacher Who Has Seen War War is crime. In particular, war is always a crime against humanity; it always perpetrates terrorism against the innocent. The people who instigate war invoke Hell on earth. The violence of war is an addiction for them; it is their form of crack cocaine. These instigators are the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: War, Pestilence, Famine, and Death; and some also maintain that they are the Antichrist. They are cannibals; they devour the souls, the hearts, and the minds of the young and the innocent. They use words like honor, freedom, protecting the nation, the godless enemy, democracy, patriotism, liberty, peace, terrorist or enemy to confuse the well-meaning, to beguile the unthinking, and to abuse the trust of us all. Learn from history how these words drip from the tongues of scoundrels. When needed, learn how to unspin the “Newspeak” embedded in these Orwellian verbal concoctions of deceit into their true meanings. Understand how they use honor to mean dishonor; freedom to mean despotism; protecting the nation to mean putting the nation at risk; the godless enemy to mean the men, women, children, and infants marked for the slaughter; patriotism to mean crime in the name of the flag; liberty to mean oppression and slavery; peace to mean war and fighting terrorists to mean summoning up more and more terrorists to mortally threaten the homeland and ensure the forever war. Learn how the users of these words always maintain a safe personal distance from the Hell they conjure up, how they always offer up the children of other fathers and mothers to the sacrifice. Smell the essential moral rot of their cowardice and the blood on their hands. They are the real enemy. They live in the White House. They wear uniforms with five, four, three, or two stars, or one; they are draped with absurdly pretty and colorful ribbons. Some wear more gold than others, and, consequently, have more kill authority. Some wear suits and ties, and no gold, but, instead, little lapel flags; they wear well-polished shoes with dark silk hosiery. Their kill authority is immense, historically unprecedented. They all believe in the medieval practice of torture. They all believe the rule of law is quaint. They have ill-begotten titles like Commander-in-Chief, Vice President, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of State, Attorney General. They are the true engineers and authors, the true begetters of wars, torture, and terrorism against the peoples of the earth. They are the assassins of history’s will and demand for real democracy, real freedom, and real liberty. They thrive on the death and the blood of the innocent: fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters, grandpas and grandmas, and our dear little ones, all of whose faces they won’t see, whose names they won’t hear and whose sacred being they so summarily dismiss. If you do not carefully attend to their machinations, their kidnappers will beguile you into a machine of murder and rapine, a hyper-gangster, nation drive-by machine. You may dishonor your soul and spirit and sadden your loved ones if you succumb to these kidnappers’ lures and temptations and outrageous lies For the love of your life, for the love of your own people and for the love of the peoples of the earth, Run! Do not look back! Escape these madmen, these monstrous, maniacal haters and violators of life! Remember, if these Hell Hounds catch or capture you in their nefarious nets of death and deceit and deliver you to their prison house of horrors, broken spirits, and lost souls, we will ever be here to remember you and to hold you in our hearts, your faces, your voices, and your names. Our every effort will be to rescue you and deliver you safely into the arms of the ones who begot and love you and to return you to your Beloved Community, your home and to all those who will never cease longing for your most speedy return.
Mr. DuNard, English Teacher, Lynwood HS. |
Not Worth It/
Last January, I was bumped from the Larry King Live show in favor of an appearance by the soon to be proved innocent, alleged pedophile, Michael Jackson. I was going to be on the program to answer the question: Did I feel my son’s murder in Iraq was “worth it” after the “free” elections in the war torn country on January 30th. I wrote an article then called: “Not Worth It.” (posted below) I never thought I would be invited back on as a guest after I pretty much burned the Larry King Bridge with my article. However, to my astonishment, I was invited back to be a guest on June 28th. I was asked to be on the broadcast in order to give my impressions and rebuttal to George’s speech on Iraq that he delivered in front of the less than enthusiastic (what the White House spin doctors call: Respectful) troops at Ft. Bragg, NC. I felt like I was in Bizarro World as I heard George speak about 9/11 five times and mention terrorism 31 times, even though these rationales for war have been disproved repeatedly. I think George thinks that since we believed him once about terrorism vis a vis Iraq, that we must therefore be gullible enough to believe him this time. I don’t know, and I am not a professional pundit, but my theory is he might have mentioned 9/11 to manipulate our emotions and maybe even frighten us a little again? The thing that struck me when I was watching that vacuous man giving his hollow speech was the fact that he could have always replaced the word “terrorists” with the phrase: “my moronic and callous foreign policies.” For example, when he said that terrorists spread death and destruction on the streets of Baghdad and kill innocent people, he could have just as easily said: “My moronic and callous foreign policies spread death and destruction on the streets of Baghdad and kill innocent people.” When he said that we need to stop terrorists from toppling governments in the region, he could have just as easily said: “We need to stop my moronic and callous foreign policies from toppling governments in the region.” People have characterized the speech-lite in many ways, but if I had to pick a few words to describe it, I would say: “Hypocritical, manipulative, condescending, meaningless drivel.” I sat through an entire hour in the CNN studio in DC hearing not one person say that the invasion was a mistake and if it was a mistake, then our troops should be brought home immediately. Even the “Democratic” Senators (Kerry and Bayh) that were on the program just gave their recipes for “success” in Iraq, which did not include any exit strategies. The guest host for that hour was Bob Costas and he asked one guest, Sen. John McCain, an intriguing question: “If you could push Button One and have an eventual wonderful outcome in Iraq, or if you could push Button Two and never have had it happen, which one would you pick?” Of course, Sen. McCain chose Button One. He hasn’t had a loved one killed in this enormous tragedy of a war, nor does he have a loved one in harm’s way. It has not affected him personally one bit. What skin is it off McCain’s teeth if our troops remain for a highly unlikely rosy outcome at the cost of thousands of more lives? I would push the button that would bring back my son, Casey, and the tens of thousands of the other victims who have been killed for nothing but outright lies and bald-faced betrayals. I would push the button that would give Iraq back its power, water, and their infrastructure. My absolute favorite guest of the evening was Sen. John Warner, powerful Chair of the Senate Armed Disservices Committee. Of course, he fell in lockstep behind his fuehrer and praised the speech and how, although we have “all” paid a terrible price for this invasion and occupation, bringing freedom and democracy to the Iraqi people is worth all the sacrifices that the world is making. I sat in the Green Room with Sen. Warner’s entourage. I wondered (even out loud) what price they have paid for our administration’s misdeeds in Iraq. They all looked like happy, well-fed, well-dressed, well-educated, and well-hydrated Americans. They looked to me like they had plenty of electricity to blow dry their hair and charge their cell phones and lap tops. They looked like they had quite a nice supply of clean drinking water and fresh food. I sincerely doubt if any of them had a loved one ripped from their lives by a car bomb, IED, or bullet in an ambush. I wondered who the “we” was that John Warner spoke of. I spoke with John Warner after his interview and told him unless he was prepared to sacrifice even a good night’s sleep over this senseless and criminal war, then he should work on ending it, not prolonging the carnage. He told me that I was “entitled to my opinion,” but he would respectfully have to disagree with me. That was awfully Constitutional of him! I finally got on to speak for my 82 seconds (all the time Larry King Live could spare for the peace message) about how this war is a catastrophe and how we should bring the troops home and quit forcing the Iraqi people to pay for our government’s hubris and quit forcing innocent children to suffer so we can fight terrorism somewhere besides America. How absolutely racist and immoral is it to take America’s battles to another land and make an entire country pay for the crimes of others? To me, this is blatant genocide. How dare we export our patriotic brand of flag waving death and devastation to a people who have been through so much already? It wasn’t bad enough that our sanctions killed tens of thousands of Iraqis before we even started an active aggression on them, now we have to create confusion, chaos, and disorder there. How dare our president, Congress, and we Americans allow this to continue? After my brief advocacy for peace, my position was refuted by another Mom whose son was killed in Iraq in 2003 who said she “totally disagrees” with me and “feels sorry” for me. Well, you know what? I feel ache for her blindness and for the millions of sheeple who have had the wool pulled over their eyes by the bunch of hypocritical, bad shepherds who are running disastrous herd over the world. I have distressing news for the Soccer Safety Moms and the NASCAR Dads who are such ardent supporters of this administration and war: Your grandchildren and children who will be entering Kindergarten this fall will be fighting George’s endless war if he gets his way and is allowed to continue spreading the cancer of imperialism in the Middle-East. Donny Rumsfeld said we could be in Iraq for another dozen years. Does anybody think with all the billions of dollars that are being poured into constructing super-sized bases in Iraq that the war machine plans on relinquishing the cash-cow that is that poor, unfortunate land anytime soon? Think about it when you tuck your child into bed tonight. I heard George and the Senators say that evening the sacrifices we as Americans have had to make for Iraq are “worth it.” I really would like to know who has benefited and profited from Iraq and who has really had to sacrifice anything. I know it was “worth it” to Dick Cheney who was the CEO of Halliburton, (of no-bid contract fame) which has raped billions of dollars from our government, from the people of Iraq, and from our soldiers who are not getting what they need to survive in a combat zone. It is “worth it” to Black Water Security Co. who sends one thousand dollar a day mercenaries to Iraq, funded by the War Department. It is “worth it” to L. Paul Bremer who slunk out of Iraq with 8.8 BILLION dollars missing from the Provisional authority. It is also “worth it” to the other companies and individuals who have been enriched by feeding our children to the military industrial complex. By George, I think we have found the people who think this war is “worth it.” But, is it worth it to George Bush who was counting on this unlawful and unprincipled aggression in Iraq to give him “political” capital? Instead, if poll numbers are any good indication, Americans are withdrawing their assent for George and they are withdrawing their consent for him to wage eternal war on humanity. As I sat in the Green Room of CNN, I was saddened and troubled by George’s call for us Americans to fly the flag proudly on the 4th to honor our troops. For one thing, the American flag is not a magical token that can bring armor to the troops who are still dying without the protection. The flag is not a faith healer that can restore limbs and eyesight to the ones who have been maimed forever. The flag is not a genie in a bottle that can blink her eyes and bring our children home from this horrible blunder that they are suffering for and being slaughtered for. But, as for me, I will never be able to celebrate another patriotic holiday without mourning what this nation has stolen from my family. I will never be able to look at an American flag without thinking of the uniform my son wore proudly that displayed that same symbol and the evil ones who desecrated and defiled the stars and stripes by lying us into the invasion of Iraq. No, Casey’s sacrifice was not “worth it” and George needs to do more than wave his flag and manipulate our sense of patriotism. He needs to march his girls to a recruitment center and send them to Iraq to fight the terrorists that his moronic and callous foreign policies have recruited or he needs to wake up and smell the apple pie and bring our other sons and daughters home, now!
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One Year
A year already, June 22 my Darling son and my only Child was murdered, in an ambush, in the far away land of Iraq. Patrick give out his last breath, his precious blood soaked the gray powder soil. Because of his sacrifice, and the sacrifice of all our sons, beautiful Peace and Light must overcome the evil darkness of our corrupted government.
Patrick was a Peace Keeper to the end. We, are dearly missing his powerful presence, his gentle love and compassion, his caring attention to both his children, Janessa 3, and Patrick Junior 10. They both try to make some sense out of the cruel reality, some days, his Spirit's presence is strongly overwhelming, we can catch the sent of flowers, lights will go on without anyone touching the switch. A picture frame will collapse by itself, in front of your eyes. Patrick is very much watching over us, but, what would I give to hear him say gently: I love you Mom... Silvia, Patrick's wife, and my adopted daughter, smile bravely at us, we hug each other through our tears, we dearly love each other, and we will face tomorrow with hope [if we have a tomorrow to live in!] On June 22 we will take a look at our lives, what have accomplished in a year? Are we OK? Life must go On. The 579 will meet at the house that day and the soldiers will talk about surviving Patrick's death, and how their return from Iraq with 3 deaths in the Unite, how profound of an impact that is, how different are they all today? |
1700 They just drove away. Your new world is black and white; it's upside down and inside out. You scream and do not recognize the pain coming from a place you never knew existed. You scream again and the sound is your soul leaving your body. You might not have even heard the words, "I regret to inform you", because all you needed was to see who was at your door and you knew. Every nightmare you had about your loved one being killed in Iraq has just come true. Every prayer for their safety on this earth will never be answered. Every deal you made was off. You cannot possibly know, but you are not alone. 1699 other hearts broke again as we saw the number tick one more to 1700 and then 1701 and 1702. We know your pain, we know the hellish journey that you have just begun and there is nothing to say except "I'm sorry". We have hugs to offer and maybe some advice, but as the moon rises, you will be alone, knowing that your son or daughter, your husband or wife, your nephew or niece, your best friend is never coming home. The sun will come up in the morning and you may be grateful that you survived another night of your new life, not knowing how. You may be angry that you survived another night without your loved one and wonder why you live and they don't. If only you could trade places. Some sleep easily, some with medication, some not at all. You want to sleep to fend off exhaustion, but know if you do the nightmares might enter the quiet place that once meant solace. The exhaustion just finds a deeper place inside you, another place unfamiliar to you. If you cry, and some cannot or will not, you will wonder if the crying will ever stop. You don't ever want to stop crying- how will you ever, ever, ever get your arms around this new life? You will never want to cry again; it's just so excruciating. You will wonder how one body can cry so many tears and for so many hours, days and months. There will be phone calls, cards, flowers and food. But all you want is your old life back, knowing that your loved one will be coming home alive and well. There will be prayers and religious services. Prayers for you, prayers for your loved one, prayers for peace, prayers for strength. Some will seek comfort in their faith, some will be interminably angry at God. You never imagined signing a document called "Disposition of Remains" but there it is, your loved ones name, in black and white. That name doesn't belong there. It belongs on a letter with love from Iraq, it belongs on an email, but it doesn't belong there. You will see their name again in headlines, on TV, on letters of condolence and on other legal documents and it never feels right. His or her name doesn't belong there! There will be questions, there will be details. You want to know all the details; you want to know none- at the same time. You have questions- so many questions and so do they. How could this be happening? What kind of funeral service, cremation or burial? Who will speak? When is the body coming home? Why is the body coming home? My son or daughter is supposed to be coming home- NOT THEIR BODY! The flags will fly at half staff, an indication that one young friend described as "someone is sad". The flag will cover the coffin, soon to be handed to you, with the words "On behalf of a grateful nation…" Flags will arrive in the mail having flown over the state capitol or the nation's capitol. They all mean the same thing- your loved one is never coming home and someone is very, very sad. Maybe you never heard the phrase "Pain shared is divided". We
share your pain; we live & breathe your pain ever single day.
While you may have never imagined you would be a part of this
group, please know that you are not alone.
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Name Withheld Pending Notification
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Nursery Rhyme
One year, two year, three year, four,
When a little boy is born feed him, train him so.
Put him in a cattle pen and wait for him to grow.
When he's nice and plump and dear, and sensible and sweet,
Mother rears her family on two pounds ten a week. Teaches them to wash themselves, teaches them to speak. Rears them with a heart's love, rears them to be men. Grinds her fingers to the bone, and then... what then? But parents who must rear the boys the cannons love to slay, Also pay for cannons that blow other boys away. Parsons tell them that their sons have just been blown to bits. Patriotic parents must all laugh like fits. Rear the boys for honest men and send them out to die! Where's the coward father who would dare raise a cry? Any gentleman's aware folk rear their children for Blunderers and plunderers to mangle in a war! Five year, six year, seven year, eight. "Hurry up you little chaps, the captain's at the gate!" Notes In 1916 during the First World War a poet named Frank Wilmot (who wrote under the name Furnley Maurice) turned his revulsion at the conscription of young people into this poem. It was set to music in the mid 1950s by Chris Kempster, and when he sang it at a folk session thirty years later, this led to Miguel Heatwole writing an arrangement of it for the Solidarity Choir. That version is on the choir's CD Ten Years Strong". |
May 7, 2005 As the official casualty count for the occupation of Iraq is rapidly approaching 1600 and on the eve of Mother’s Day, Gold Star Families for Peace issues the following statement to George W. Bush: We represent families of fallen American troops who oppose the occupation of Iraq and refuse to let George W. Bush continue the killing in our name. We support the immediate withdrawal of American and Coalition Forces from Iraq. George W. Bush has consistently iterated the hurtful and meaningless phrase: We need to keep our troops in Iraq to finish the mission to honor the sacrifices of fallen heroes. We at Gold Star Families for Peace disagree with George Bush on this and most other of his activities and words. It is too late for our loved ones and our families. Our sons and daughters; brothers and sisters; nieces and nephews; husbands and wives have already been killed in this needless and senseless war. We don’t want one more innocent person murdered, especially in our names. Just because our soldier’s blood has already been spilled does not mean we families are thirsty for more. We insist that George W. Bush stop justifying his bloodlust by assuming we families are blood thirsty also. We demand that George W. Bush honors our family’s sacrifices by admitting to the “mistakes and miscalculations” (Washington Post, Jan. 17, 2005) of this invasion and occupation of Iraq by ending the occupation immediately and bringing our troops home now. This is not a request and it is not negotiable. We individually, and as a group, are dismayed and broken-hearted anew as the memo from Great Britain dated 23 July, 2002 has recently surfaced. This invasion and occupation of a sovereign country was prefabricated and has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of human beings, has destroyed the lives of millions, and demolished a country that was no threat to the USA. In addition to withdrawal of the troops, we call for the immediate resignation of George Bush, Dick Cheney and the entire Cabinet. A return to private citizen status will mean that the people responsible for so much death and destruction will be able to be held accountable to the laws of our land and for damaging humanity so thoroughly.
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| I'm coming home
by Sarah Dickinson I went for one last adventure and some pictures to keep I went to help I went to make peace I went for the promise to protect my country from terror found destruction, hatred, torture can't take anymore I'm coming home I offered my life the ultimate sacrifice was given for nothing light a candle for me and sing I'm coming home left my beautiful baby never forgot how it felt to hold you don't forget me babe I'm coming home the life I knew is over for me so cheaply torn away the life I knew goes on without me let me fly away don't worry about me anyway because I'm coming home carbombs, suicides, torture, beheadings, friends fallen and I don't know how I've given up now I'm coming home ribbons on cars and gas prices rising stories on the news only evidence hell is raging oh how I miss you I'm coming home remember my eyes now remember my crooked smile now please don't cry now I'm coming home these things I'll never forget these things I'll never forgive forever changed these images burned in my brain no more pain now carve my name now because I'm coming home to stay |
A Tribute to Michael Pederson KIA 04/02/03
Dear Mike, I miss you alot, can't seem to get you off my mind. So here is a poem that I wrote for you: 
I need to say goodbye although you are with me, I stand beside your grave, yet you are here. I miss you terribly and hope you miss me. But, when I turn to you, you're always near. I talk to you as though you live within me, not changed but simply, moved in from the outside. I know each day you must a little leave me, but here, as always, you must be my guide. You were and are and will always be, just as ever in many minds and hearts, not only mine. And so, goodbye does not mean you are gone; so long as I still love you, you will live on. Tiffina' Bennett 5/26/05 JULIA WARD HOWE: [read by Yoruba Richen]
Magnetic Ribbons and the Yellow Cake of Faith When we start from deluded sleep at last, and know the dream for dream, embraced en masse... When bells that rang victorious hang mute, their tarnished claims ignored in disrepute, and bitter sons, having been all they could be, can't drink enough to erase the brutality... 
(The brash regime trims reason from its ranks, its black guard in the street, protecting flanks.) Then will we heed the schemers' gloating leer? "There's no future for any of you here." So row on row, with hand in trembling hand, it's come to this: we dreamers better stand. 
-G. Karl Marcus 12/14/04 -- G Karl Marcus gkarlmarcus@nativerock.com |
A Gold Star Families response to the State of the Union address
Today Mr. Bush gave the State of the Union Address, and among other upsetting notes he spoke about terrorism, the war in Iraq, and without saying it by its name, he spoke of Iraq as a friendly country which Americans are really proud of, because they voted last Sunday, January 30, although we well know it is a very immoral situation. He took to the Assembly an Iraqi woman who lost her father while the Saddam Hussein government was in power, and he had the nerve of introducing her as someone who is against the Iraq occupation, although she lives in the U.S enjoying all the opportunities this country has to offer. She definitely cannot represent the Iraqi people who are suffering daily from this occupation. Bush as always, contradicted himself, telling people that the U.S didn’t want to impose a system on the Iraqi population, although he forced the Iraqi people to vote so they could have a democratic government. Who can understand this man? He keeps saying that Iraq can demonstrate that it can be free, but he never mentions when the troops will be pulled out of Iraq. Bush says that when Iraq is ready to defend against its enemies, then the troops will leave Iraq. Who can say when Iraq will be able to defend itself? And which enemies is he talking about? Is he talking about terrorist or occupying governments? Another thing that comes to mind is Bush’s lack of support for education and the health care system, which impacts primarily minorities. Just remember that Latinos are one of the most vulnerable groups. More than 13 millions of Latino people have no insurance. Many young people drop out of school and nowadays it is very difficult to have access to college. We have no resources, although Bush is asking Congress for more and more money to continue his occupation in Iraq. I wonder when we will be able to understand that here, at home also we do have a war against terrorism, which includes education and health. My family and I became very upset, when Bush used the parents of a brave soldier from Texas. According to Bush, this family represented more than 1400 military families that have been killed. Bush showed them as parents that they are ok with the death of their sons and daughters in this occupation. Let me tell you that I know as a fact that more than 2000 families are daily on the streets, attending offices of congressmen, asking for the end of this occupation and the immediate return of our troops. I wonder why Bush didn’t invite all the families. Is he afraid of what they would say? He also gave us a very hopeless message. Syria and Iran are next on his list and they will be attacked to further combat terrorism. Yes, this is what we can expect in the next four years. More wars, destruction of the social system, less opportunities for education and no medical help for the working class. I demand as a lover of peace and justice, that we should unite our voices, our hearts and we scream and complain, we should ask Congress to put a stop to the destructive politics of Mr. Bush. For a generation of peace and love!!!!!!! El Guerrero Azteca God bless you. Familia Suárez del Solar
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An Essay written by Cindy Sheehan after an appearance on the Larry King show was preempted by the Michael Jackson Trial
Not Worth It I was supposed to be on the Larry King Live show last night. I was asked to be on the show to offer my opinion on the election in Iraq from the perspective of a mom whose son was killed in the war prior to the elections. One of the questions I was going to be asked was: Do I think my son’s sacrifice was “worth it?” Well, I didn’t get a chance to be on the show last night, because I was bumped for something that is really important: The Michael Jackson Trial. If I was allowed to go on Larry King Live last night and give my opinion about the elections and about my son’s sacrifice, this is what I would have told Mr. King and his viewers: My son, Spc. Casey Austin Sheehan (KIA, Sadr City, 04/04/04) enlisted in the Army to protect America and give something back to our country. He didn’t enlist to be used and misused by a reckless Commander-in-Chief who sent his troops to preemptively attack and occupy a country that was no imminent threat (or any threat) to our country. Casey was sent to die in a war that was based on the imagination of some Neo-Cons who love to fill our lives with fear. Casey didn’t agree with the “Mission” but being the courageous and honorable man that he was he knew he had to go to this mistake of a war to support his buddies. Casey also wondered aloud many times why precious troops and resources were being diverted from the real war on terror. Casey was told that he would be welcomed to Iraq as a liberator with chocolates and rose petals strewn in front of his unarmored Humvee. He was in Iraq for two short weeks when the Shi’ite rebel “welcome wagon” welcomed him to Baghdad with bullets and RPG’s, which took his young and beautiful life. I think my son’s helmet and Viet Nam era flak jacket would have protected him better from the chocolates and flower petals. Casey was killed after George Bush proclaimed “Mission Accomplished” on May 1, 2003…he was also killed after Saddam was captured in December of that same year. Casey was killed before the transfer of power in June of 2004 and before these elections. Four marines were tragically killed after the election, yesterday. By my count about five dozen Iraqis and coalition troops were killed on Election Day…is that the definition of “Catastrophic Success?” But is that a good day in Iraq? Hundreds of our young people and thousands of Iraqis have been needlessly and senselessly murdered since George Bush triumphantly announced an end to “major combat” almost 2 years ago now. All of the above events have been heralded by this administration as “turning points” in the “war on terror”…or as wonderful events in the “march of democracy.” Really? I don’t think, judging by very recent history, that the elections will stop the bloodshed and destruction. I would have asked Mr. King if he would want to sacrifice one of his children for sham elections in Iraq. Would he or George Bush send their children to be killed, or maimed for life, for a series of lies, mistakes and miscalculations? Now that every lie has been exposed to the light for the invasion and occupation of Iraq….why are our sons and daughters still there? NOT ONE MORE DROP OF BLOOD SHOULD BE SPILLED FOR THIS PACK OF LIES. This war was sold to the American people by a slimy leadership with a maniacal zeal and phony sincerity that would have impressed snake oil salesmen a century ago. The average American needs to hear from people who have been devastated by the arrogance and ignorance of an administration that doesn’t even have the decency or compassion to sign our “death” letters. In the interest of being “fair and balanced” (oops, wrong network), I would have been pitted against a parent who still agrees with the “Mission” and the President. Although, I grieve for that parent’s loss and I respect that parent’s opinion, I would have defied Mr. King, or that parent to explain the “Mission” to me. I don’t think anyone can do it with a straight face. The President has also stated that we need to keep our troops in Iraq to honor our sacrifices by completing this elusive and ever changing “Mission.” My response to him is “Just because it is too late for Casey and the Sheehan family, why would we want another innocent life taken, in the name of this chameleon of a “Mission?” Well, I was bumped from the show anyway. Now that Scott Peterson has been convicted and sentenced for his crimes and Laci and Connor’s families have the justice they deserve, we have the new “trial of the century” to keep our minds off of the nasty and annoying fact that we are waging an immoral war in Iraq. We can fill our TV screens and homes with the glorified images of the Michael Jackson molestation trial. We can fill our lives with outrage over MJ’s victims and hope they get justice; not even questioning the fact that George Bush, his dishonest cabinet, and their misguided policies aren’t even brought to the court of public opinion. We won’t have to confront ourselves with the fact that the leaders of our country and their lies are responsible for the deaths of 1438 brave Americans…tens of thousands of innocent Iraqis…and the loss of our Nation’s credibility throughout the world. That might mean we would have to turn off our television sets and do something about it. Oh yeah. In answer to the original question Larry: No it wasn’t worth it!! Cindy Sheehan Mother of Hero: Spc Casey Austin Sheehan KIA 04/04/04 Casey's Peace Page Co-founder of Gold Star Families for Peace |
This Good Man: an essay by Steve and Michelle DeFord
Our son David was a quiet man, a tall blond gentle giant. He loved the outdoors, his family, motorcycles and animals of every description. Cooking was one of his passions and he was a great cook. He loved to read and play video games with his friends. He had a funny sense of humor and made us laugh all the time. We never heard him say an unkind word about anyone. If one of us would start to complain about someone he would either change the subject or remind us of a good quality that they might possess. He dreamed of attending the Culinary Institute in Portland to become “one of the greatest chefs of all time.” Sometimes he would get to feeling down about cooking because he felt it was not all that manly. We used to tell him it was one of the most important skills on earth Because everyone needs to eat… then he would laugh. David joined the National Guard after 911. He wasn’t married nor did he have children so he felt he had the time to devote to this good cause. When 911 happened we were all so shocked and horrified at the loss of life in New York, we did not discourage him because we all wanted to do something to help. That summer David cooked for his unit and helped fight forest fires in Oregon. It gave him a sense of pride in who he was and why he was here. When his unit got their orders to deploy we were shocked and dismayed. We felt that the United States was rushing into a war that had nothing to do with 911. At least it wasn’t clear to us what the connection was. It has been said that in order to get people to accept war all you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. Is that not what has happened today? This administration has betrayed the nobility of our sons and daughters intentions. They do not agonize about the daily loss of life. They are hopelessly trapped in their insane ideology. We have joined MFSO and GSFP to help get the message to people who still believe what they hear on the news. They don’t seem to realize these are real people with real families that will never be the same. If they are not ready to put their children on a plane to Iraq how can they think it is okay for ours to die. Yet they do. It is time to bring the troops home, before one more family has to suffer the agony and loss that our family has. This is an unjust, immoral un-Godly mess. Steve and Michelle DeFord |
The Dangerous Gold Star Families
Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld continues to astound us Gold Star Families with his heartlessness, callousness and disrespect in the faces of our children who are being killed in the mindless invasion and occupation of Iraq. I am one of the founding members of a group called Gold Star Families for Peace. Some of us families who have lost loved ones in this illegal and immoral war in Iraq have organized to use our collective voices to bring the tragedy of war to the fore front of America’s hearts and souls like it so tragically is in ours. We families are amazed that so few of our fellow citizens are touched by the horrors of the invasion and occupation of a sovereign country. It seems to us like the only people who are asked to sacrifice anything for the war effort are our brave young men and women fighting this so-called war and their families. There are some families in our nation like us, that have paid the ultimate price for the lies and betrayals of this current administration. I, and some other Gold Star Families, have been writing and calling the Department of Defense for over three weeks. We were all meeting in DC to protest the inauguration and we thought it would be a good time to meet with Donald Rumsfeld. We have many questions to ask him about our loved ones’ deaths and we deserve to have some answers. I think it is our right as Americans and grieving families to have these answers. For example, why were the children of this country sent to fight a war without the proper training, equipment or armor? Why were our children sent to fight a war that had no basis in reality? Why are American children still over there fighting a war, and dying in a war, when all the reasons for the war have been proven false? When is this administration going to bring the rest of our children home before it’s too late for their families? If we were granted an audience with him, we didn’t really expect Mr. Rumsfeld to be truthful with us or even polite to us considering his past history of being so sarcastically untruthful and blatantly rude. The real reason I wanted to meet with Rumsfeld was so he could see the face of my son, Spc Casey Sheehan, who was killed in Sadr City on 04/04/04. I wanted him to look me in the face and see my red swollen eyes and to see all the lines that grief has etched. I wanted him to see the unbearable pain his ignorance and arrogance has caused me and my family. I wanted him to know that his actions have terrible consequences. Our letters, phone calls, faxes, and e-mails to the Pentagon were to no avail: we received no response. So in conjunction with Military Families Speak Out (MFSO) we decided to go to the Pentagon and try and meet with someone, anyone. We were met at the parking lot by a couple of dozen of police officers blocking our way. We were told that we weren’t allowed to go into the Pentagon because we didn’t go through the proper protocol to request a meeting!! I find it so ironic that with all the tight security for the events in DC this week that enough time and energy was mustered to stop families in mourning so forcefully at the Pentagon. I also find it ironic that if I were a wealthy Republican who had donated large sums of money for the “re”-election of the President, I could have had access to all the big wigs at the lavish parties…but I, whose son paid the ultimate price of his precious life to this country, can’t even get within a half of a mile from the man who sent him to die. We Gold Star Families for Peace are not giving up the fight to hold someone in this administration accountable for the quagmire in Iraq and the more important struggle to bring the rest of our children home from this devastating occupation now. It takes most of our energy just to get out of our beds in the morning and mourn our horrific losses. We need all Americans to wake up and start lobbying their elected officials for an end to this immorality in Iraq and to join our voices in protest. Cindy Sheehan Mother of Army Spc. Casey Sheehan KIA 04/04/04 |
Celeste Zappalas DC Diary
Wednesday afternoon, 5 of us from Gold Star Families for Peace, followed by our friends of Military Families Speak Out, cameras and press folk, pushed through the blowing snow to reach a small footbridge that would take us to the edge of the Pentagon. We linked our arms and crossed the bridge, the armed guards drew themselves from their flashing vehicles stood tight to meet us - You cannot pass-We want to see Mr Rumsfeld we told them, " leave, put the cameras down now" 
We explained that we had sent many requests to Mr Rumsfeld asking him to meet with us, the families of the fallen, that we had terrible questions they needed answers. Since all of our requests had been ignored,all that was left was to come ourselves. Lt. Carter told us we had not followed proper channels, but finally softening a bit, he agreed to make a call to the Pentagon's public relations office. We were not at all surprised ten minutes later when he said he could not reach anyone, no one in the Pentagon could come to talk to 5 Gold Star families on a bitter afternoon. We begged him to take the pictures and letters we had brought, pictures of our children and from other families who unable to make this journey had entrusted their children's pictures to us. We turned away and while walking sadly back across the bridge two middle aged men- sleek in running gear- raced past us and past the guards with just a casual nod. Thursday Selma and I walked in morning sunshine to the Foundry United Methodist Church where 200 people gathered to hear about the "Cost of War". Sue Neiderer and I spoke. A young soldier told of his struggle with his conscience that forced him to leave Iraq. In front of the church with the bells ringing we joined a parade of hearty young kids and lots of middle aged folks marching and chanting, headed to the inauguration. Along the way we talked to many reporters and though they wanted us to talk about the cost of the show, we kept trying to steer the talk to telling the truth about the war. 
We struggled to get to the security check points - tents where every single person was frisked and inspected, those in furs and flash got through a lot easier than the grunge kids and gray-hairs with signs. For a few moments we had to hide in a doorway when pepper gas was sprayed on the crowd outside the tent. Some of the kids were drug off by security police disguised as protesters. (an interesting touch they wore Arab styled scarves round their necks.)We were unable to cross Pennsylvania Ave to get to our friends from MFSO who were saving front row space for us with their signs, Sue Niederer argued mightily with secret service to escort us across the closed street, to no avail. We ended up at 4th Street where many protesters had gathered, we had the chance to speak to them just before the parade began. The most emotional moment came while I was standing on a stage on Pennsylvania and Constitution Avenues, clouds having finally won the winter sky, the cold and tired finding my spine - I was watching the fortified presidential motorcade roll past behind three rows of armed military police, behind me the crowd from ANSWER with scores of signs denouncing Bush and his war were screaming and chanting, I could hardly see over the cameras and news people pressing on the stage, With a sense of defiance I held Sherwood's picture over my head, "bring them home now" the people roared, and the call was met by the sound of racing police motorcycles and the ubiquitous helicopters, and the terrible reality nearly overwhelmed me, -my son was lost because of decisions made by those people in front of me, -the roars and screams began to seem like combat to me, i felt nearly defenseless, But I was holding Sherwood's picture and I began to feel his strength. Finally the cameraman who had been with us all day, weaving us through the throngs came to me and held me up. Crying, I clung to him with gratitude. 
From the parade we went to the National City Church which was hosting the Eyes Wide Open display of 1370 sets of empty boots, set up outdoors on the cascading steps with small candles, and in side on the pews, the hundreds and hundreds of boots sat silent. On other pews and near alters were placed hundreds of shoes representing the civilians killed since the invasion. I spoke again, as did Sue and Cindy, and we begged people not to forget our sons were beloved real people whose futures we had hoped for, and we implored them to work to stop the war. In the fading day, sleek limousines passed the huge steps of the cathedral now lite with hundreds of candles, they barely paused and then raced away to their celebrations. |
Comes a khaki gentleman knocking at the door.
"Any little boys at home, send them out to me
To train them and brain them in battles yet to be."
Throw him in the trenches for the great grey rats to eat.
Toss him in the cannon's mouth, cannons fancy best
Tender little boys' flesh that's easy to digest.