dear abby responds to anti-war parents

[abelenkpe]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ucda/20070225/lf_ucda/husbandsharesmomssecretswithwifewhohearsthemall;_ylt=Assx4tkcvOwqZJeIvqOEvXrNbbUC



My biggest fear is that my children will end up in the military fighting for oil corporations. And they are three and under. I've always wondered how best to dissuade them from military service without dishonoring the brave soldiers who are out there (including many of their ancestors and relatives.) I like Abby's response to the writers with similar (but more immediate) concerns, but wonder if she will be flamed for her input. Any suggests on other ways to respectfully dissuade children from war? Should I ever even try? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[demnan]

1. That was a very impressive response

I like the idea of showing what happens when our children go to war. Better than telling, especially at that age.

[sce56]

2. I loved her response! Very thoughtful and a way to definitely open their eyes!

Of course I would have them get a copy of the Ground Truth

and have their kids watch that I know others that have done that and saved some from making the biggest mistakes of their lives!

[sce56]

4. Here is my Letter to Dear Abby

In your letter to CLEVELAND MOM I applaud your answer But I would have gone further. I would also have pointed them to web sites that show the results of military service and how the desperate recruiters are dragging the bottom of the barrel to find recruits. read about it here
http://www.thegroundtruth.net/
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2006/10/01/ING42LCIGK1.DTL
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x280719

In February, the Baltimore Sun wrote that there was "a significant increase in the number of recruits with what the Army terms 'serious criminal misconduct' in their background" -- a category that included "aggravated assault, robbery, vehicular manslaughter, receiving stolen property and making terrorist threats." From 2004 to 2005, the number of those recruits rose by more than 54 percent, while alcohol and illegal drug waivers, reversing a four-year decline, increased by more than 13 percent.

And here is the results of the past few years of waivers. http://www.waveflux.net/archives/2007/02/the_coverup_of_a_soldiers_deat.php
She was LaVena Johnson, private first class, and she died near Balad, Iraq, on July 19, 2005, just eight days shy of her twentieth birthday. She was the first woman soldier from Missouri to die while serving in Iraq or Afghanistan.

The tragedy of her story begins there.

An Army representative initially told LaVena's father, Dr. John Johnson, that his daughter died of "died of self-inflicted, noncombat injuries," but initially added that it was not a suicide. The subsequent Army investigation reversed this finding and declared LaVena's death a suicide, a finding refuted by the soldier's family. In an article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Dr. Johnson pointed to indications that his daughter had endured a physical struggle before she died - two loose front teeth, a "busted lip" that had to be reconstructed by the funeral home - suggesting that "someone might have punched her in the mouth."

Her Father a doctor found out the following
Reporter Matt Sczesny spoke with LaVena's father and examined documents and photos sent by Army investigators. So far from supporting the claim that LaVena died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the documents provided elements of another scenario altogether:

* Indications of physical abuse that went unremarked by the autopsy

* The absence of psychological indicators of suicidal thoughts; indeed, testimony that LaVena was happy and healthy prior to her death

* Indications, via residue tests, that LaVena may not even have handled the weapon that killed her

* A blood trail outside the tent where Lavena's body was found

* Indications that someone attempted to set LaVena's body on fire

The Army has resisted calls by Dr. Johnson and by KMOV to reopen its investigation.

That is she was killed by one of her fellow soldiers and the chain of command failed to honor her service by properly investigating her death!

Yes there is a serious problem in the Army morale wise and recruitment wise.

I joined in the mid 70's it was indeed a hollow army back then when I retired in the mid 90's it was the best army in history! Now after six years of misleadership by the Commander in Chief it as bad as it was after Vietnam.
Oh yes my Army has been destroyed by the war profiteers working in the White House and they want to go to Iran next based on the same lies they used to get us into Iraq!

Truth over Lies in California

http://web.archive.org/web/20030602211200/

[rocktivity]

3. And while they're at that veteran's hospital

I hope they inquire about stop loss, repeat deployments, mercenaries making ten times their salary, and the lousy benefits they're getting.

:headbang:
rocknation