Words from John Murtha

[Downthestretch55]

You just might be right on that.
I don't think he's "grand standing" or compromising the country.
He's a "straight shooter". Might be that those words came from him being alarmed about the situation we've been put into.
btw...most other countries already know how "stretched" we are. Pretty obvious when military quotas aren't met month after month and the standards reduced. Not exactly "rocket science".

[somerfrost]

Originally Posted by Downthestretch55

You just might be right on that.
I don't think he's "grand standing" or compromising the country.
He's a "straight shooter". Might be that those words came from him being alarmed about the situation we've been put into.
btw...most other countries already know how "stretched" we are. Pretty obvious when military quotas aren't met month after month and the standards reduced. Not exactly "rocket science".

No, but didn't Rivera get kicked out of Iraq for a time for drawing deployment data in the sand? One does have to be careful when talking about such things...I don't think these comments will put our guys at risk but I wouldn't want to give any specifics!

[Downthestretch55]

Originally Posted by somerfrost

No, but didn't Rivera get kicked out of Iraq for a time for drawing deployment data in the sand? One does have to be careful when talking about such things...I don't think these comments will put our guys at risk but I wouldn't want to give any specifics!

I'm not familiar with the Rivera issue.
Murtha didn't say anything that isn't widely known to anyone that buys a newspaper or has internet access.

[GenuineRisk]

... and to further depress a person:

http://www.salon.com/politics/war_ro...raq/index.html

(I hope it opens; salon requires a subscription for some things, but I think offers a free day pass)

[Downthestretch55]

Originally Posted by GenuineRisk

... and to further depress a person:

http://www.salon.com/politics/war_ro...raq/index.html

(I hope it opens; salon requires a subscription for some things, but I think offers a free day pass)

Genuine Risk,
Now I'm even more depressed. Thanks a lot.
I can't believe that average Americans can't see through this charade.
It's kind of like, "We can't stop now because the 2,500 Americans who gave their lives would have died in vain."
As if throwing another 2,500 lives would somehow bring them back to life.
Was it worth the cost?
I say NO!!!
But I'm ready to hear from those that think it is, and of course, real reasons, no dancing...just the facts Jack.
DTS

Originally Posted by Downthestretch55

Genuine Risk,
Now I'm even more depressed. Thanks a lot.
I can't believe that average Americans can't see through this charade.
It's kind of like, "We can't stop now because the 2,500 Americans who gave their lives would have died in vain."
As if throwing another 2,500 lives would somehow bring them back to life.
Was it worth the cost?
I say NO!!!
But I'm ready to hear from those that think it is, and of course, real reasons, no dancing...just the facts Jack.
DTS

People see through it but they don't care. It doesn't affect their lives. They have been very clever of making it appear like there is no war going on. No sacrifice was made by anyone. I wrote an op-ed piece for the Middle East edition of Stars and Stripes and the responses I got from most soldiers was that they felt americans just didn't care.

[Downthestretch55]

Originally Posted by boldruler

People see through it but they don't care. It doesn't affect their lives. They have been very clever of making it appear like there is no war going on. No sacrifice was made by anyone. I wrote an op-ed piece for the Middle East edition of Stars and Stripes and the responses I got from most soldiers was that they felt americans just didn't care.

Bold Ruler,
Do me a favor, ok?
Next time you write a piece, tell them that there are many Americans that DO care.
I heard the same kind of crap during Viet Nam. We can't stop now or all those lives would be in vain.
Then, I got a chance to stand in front of the memorial, find ten of my friends names, not counting several others that died later from agent orange and living crippled for the rest of their lives. Ed M. was a colonel. He got blown up by an improvised device. Spent the remainder of his life on fake legs, right arm blown off below the elbow, and a disfigured face with no ear on the right side, and a glass eye on the same side. Interesting fact is that the same people he was training during "Vietnamization" were the ones that did this to him. After his many operations, he became a college professor teaching Asian studies. He also counseled many vets.
Then he founded a program that brought vets back to Viet nam to distribute medical aid...revisit the place where he was blown up.
He spent many years in search of the answer to a question that haunted him.
WHY?

Unfortunately, he died last year at 56 in his shower. His son found him.
Ed's name isn't on the wall.

So, just do me a favor, ok? Tell those that you write your articles for that there are people that DO care about them just as much as I cared about Ed,
and Bill, and Stan, and Joe, and....so many more.

Names on a wall will never replace the lives they cost.
NEVER!

Why? Search your souls before putting out a response.