Dear Mom - a Marine's letter home from Iraq

[welshTerrier2]

Iraqi journalist Dahr Jamail has written an article that includes letters from many people, both civilians and military, on the front lines in Iraq ... the article's disturbing title: "Today is Better Than Tomorrow" ... one of the letters he received was from a US Marine stationed near Ramadi ... read it and ask yourself why anyone would support keeping US troops in Iraq even for one more day ... the mission makes no sense ... all we're doing over there is killing people, threatening people for information and kicking in doors and frightening civilians ... it is all utter madness and still the sage American politicians and their followers believe they have a path to success ... it's time to cut-off funding for continued offensive operations and get the troops the hell out of there as quickly as their safety allows ... we are not helping the Iraqi people with our presence ...

here's the Marine's letter to his mom:

This is such a nightmare. If my son survives, he'll be embittered forever...This is a portion of his angry email....I found it very disturbing....please excuse the spelling, he's in a hurry and exhausted when he writes....his point is to kill the Iraqis before they kill him. Now it's just a race for life. Insane."

Her son's email reads in part:

"I was gonna call you but the phone is broken. I hate this place more than anywhere else i've been. I guess is a compilation of all the time I've done overseas fighting. Bullshit fights, its really bringing me down. I can't wait till all this is over…I'll be the biggest anti-war person this country will have… at least against this war in Iraq....Let's go fight a different one somewhere else cause this one is lost. I swear i wish you could spend a week over here…you would know it's lost. You can't stop ‘holy warriors,' especially in their territory. Tonight we are about to go drop off generators to the enemy (Iraqi civilians) hoping they will give us info about the enemy (bullshit storys). The shit your tax dollars go to would make you puke. You really would puke. I almost do when i think about it..... thomas jefferson would have a heart attack if he saw all the shit goin on today. Oh well. I really hope it changes soon when Bush is out…but i doubt it. I thinks its all Gods plan…he runs the show no matter what. Fate and all that…its good to trust him.

"…I'll keep the machine gun lubed in hopes of killin em all at the first opportunity for you. I love you ma and i know that no matter what you support me. I hope you don't find this email burdensome. Just hit delete if that's the case."

His mother added:

"You can see how the war is destroying my son's morale, and whittling away at his spirit. Now it's just a killing game."

[peace13]

1. That is so sad.

Multiply that times 140,000 soldiers. We have to keep after Washington to get these people home!

[Mad_Dem_X]

2. Heartbreaking

My heart aches for those kids over there, and for their families. I am so angry at BushCo I can hardly see straight.

[JohnnyLib2]

3. Here, near Ft. Knox,

the PTSD cases just keep turning up among those who make it back. Sad prayers for this and many families.

[tomreedtoon]

4. Sorry, but this is not an "article." It's a blog.

Meaning it was not printed in a newspaper where everyone could read it. It was posted to this "common dreams" blog where only the convinced will read it.

If it HAD been printed in a newspaper, which is unlikely because of the deservedly strong language, it would have created a firestorm. The people who had been denied this information would have read it.

In other words, the people who needed to hear the words of this soldier and his mother...never did and never will.

[thingfisher]

5. You are so right.

I can just see the true patriot types decrying such sentiments as giving aid and comfort to the enemy! Support our troops! Yea!

Great strategy - here is a generator if you will tell us who the bad guys are.

[welshTerrier2]

6. are you not a "true patriot type"?

why let the chickenhawk-right stake claim to that label?

true patriots stand up in opposition when their country has been poisoned by greed and big money ... we stand up when hawkish madness seizes the reigns of control ... we stand up and decry the evil we see that threatens the foundations of our democracy and dishonors the values on which the country was founded ... that's what true patriots do ...

let the bastards whine about those who protest this corporate war; they will whine whether you do so or you don't; it is we who seek the best for our country who are the "true patriots" ...

[thingfisher]

7. Sorry, I should have used the sarcasm icon.

I was thinking of the America right or wrong variety.