Wednesday, December 14, 2005

This made me sick to my stomach

This is wrong, in so many ways.

Service men and women who have died in Iraq are being shipped home as cargo. How unfeeling can the Bush government be? Please don't tell me this isn't the President's responsibility, I'll address that later.

This is how a fallen soldier should return home. This is how we have always honored our dead.


I can only imagine the insult added to the grief of parents/spouses/children who find their child/spouse/parent returned with such a lack of honor.

Anyone who reads this blog knows that I'm a Democrat. I'm a Democrat because I believe that the government has a responsibility to help those who can't help themselves. I also believe Republicans to be unfeeling. But this is even beyond my imagination. How can this administration not support the veterans families. Service men and women who died in a Republican started war.

I always knew Bush's administration was heartless, but I thought they took care of their own. I thought the Republicans considered the military be one of their own. I guess I was wrong.

Some bloggers have said that this mistreatment, this disrespect is part of the conspiracy to keep the war dead and their families out of the media.

I think it is something worse. I think they don't care, at all, about anyone. We always knew they didn't care about the poor, now we know they don't care about the military. They don't care how many die. They don't care how the deceased and the families are treated.

They care about themselves and their agenda. That lack of caring and disrespect for the dead soldiers has permeated every area of our government. And the hell with everyone else.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have somethign for you to read, if you are so inclined. It is an opposing viewpoint, so you might or might not follow the link.

http://lincolnparkregulars.blogspot.com/2005/12/you-neeeed-to-read-this.html

I caution you; I am conservative. Your prejudices may lead you to wholly dismiss anything I have to say, but that doesn't concern me. I don't really expect you to consider information that challenges your world view, but I would submit to you that you might be wrong about some of your beliefs, and I invite you to re-examine them. Have a good day.

Anonymous said...

Julia, I agree with you. That is sad to treat the remains of a war hero. I don't think anyone should be treated that way but especially a war hero!

mb, I'm not certain I understand your point; the fact that the war may be just (I agree with it, not how Bush proceeded but with getting rid of Sadaam Hussein and his murderous bunch) and has done some good things for the Iraqi peo has nothing to do with how the people who fought the war are treated. Two different things.

Anonymous said...

Have you fallen for shitty media reporting or do you actually have some idea of how you'd do it differently? Maybe put them all in Business Class?

Anonymous said...

Julia -

Found your blog linking back from Miserable Annals of the Earth, and wanted to comment. I have a friend who works at the pentagon. His entire job is to get the soldiers home and work with the families of fallen soldiers getting all of the benefits going and helping to make funeral arrangements. While he does not, personally, support the war, and while is he a democrat surrounded by republicans, he feels it is more important to do what he can, in a job he can't quit, to help people. I haven't spoken to him about the issues noted in this blog entry, though when he comes in for the holiday (and we're supposed to get together), I'm DEFINITELY gonna.

I've heard enough of his firsthand stories to believe that there's a pretty good chance your information may be reporting more about an exception, than the rule.

Also wanted to let you know that I enjoyed your blog and will be back.

Julia said...

Anonymous said...
Have you fallen for shitty media reporting or do you actually have some idea of how you'd do it differently? Maybe put them all in Business Class?


Mr/Ms Anonymous,

Do you really think it was the cargo hold that had me upset? Are you trying out for a position with the O'Reilly people? Because that's what you sound like. You pick at the most trivial item in my post and question that. And distract from the actual issue.

Ok, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. Maybe my writing was so obtuse you didn't understand. What upset me was that the soldiers remains were being treated like cargo. No honor guard when the family wanted to meet the disembarkment. The family watching a forklift take their loved one off the plane. That is what is upsetting. Understand?

Julia said...

Tammy,

I hope this is an aberration, but it would not surprise me if it wasn't.

The family in the article I linked to were a military family. They KNEW what should have been done and complained. How many families didn't know there was a reason to complain?