Dan wrote:

I am a United States Marine. I fought in Iraq last year. Our Battalion did some amazing things (our company being the spearhead in the operations). We started two new forward operating bases in areas devoid of law. When we got there, we were mortared and bombed for over a month. People were regularly being executed in the market. Iraqis were scared. When we left, we had local Iraqis telling us not to leave. I could go on and on about the good we did.

We were told, in many different presentations, why we were going over there, and what was to gain. I smelled a lot of BS, but I had my own reasons (I had been out for over three years and resigned to go over there with my unit). One of the key points was that we were fighting Terrorists, whose goal was to "take away our freedoms, make us live in fear, and change our way of life." We were fighting to prevent that (among other things). We were NOT going to live in fear. Terrorists were NOT going to be successful in spreading terror. WELL I WAS WRONG. President Bush is using the terrorists to do what they could never do by themselves TAKE AWAY OUR FREEDOMS!!! What was I fighting for? To give government an excuse to gain more power? So that I can give up freedoms, that I was told would be kept secure while I went to "take the war to the terrorists"? Why did some of my fellow Marines pay the ultimate price?

Before I left, while I was over there, and when I returned, I heard many comments (many coming directly from the president) saying how not supporting him was demoralizing to the troops. I am FURIOUS that the President would use the unfortunate mistakes of Vietnam and the country’s guilt to quell any opposition. I will tell you this, I WAS on the front lines of Iraq, and I NEVER felt that the American people did not appreciate its troops. Questioning the government is not abandoning the troops. What nerve to exploit this feeling of remorse for the way Vietnam Vets were treated and abuse our situation!! All this coming from someone who supported Vietnam, but used his influence to avoid combat (and with a questionable military career at that), while many others who were opposed had to go fight on the front lines. I guess he believed in the war as long as he didn’t have to fight it.

I don’t normally write to these sort of things and usually find the left extremes as self serving, corrupt and misleading as the right, which leads me to why I have written. I was listening to a progressive radio station last night. Normally when I listen, I have as many, or more, arguments for/against the speakers and their agenda as points that I agree on, but last night was different. Most of it made sense and then the reason it made sense occurred to me. THEY DON’T HAVE TO LIE!! There is so much proof of corruption, scandal, law breaking, abuse of power, etc… that they do not have to “embellish” their case. These extremists who would just as likely add a few questionable facts or put a ridiculous spin on something to prove a point they thought important, DID NOT HAVE TO.

To make this shorter, I am not going into the reasons I went to Iraq; however, I will say that I still believe a democratic and free Iraq has a lot to offer the world and can be a guiding light for a very unstable area. I fear we may bankrupt the greatest country on earth to try to accomplish this. I am starting to think that the Iraqi people are not ready to handle it and forcing on them early may have set them back. I don’t have an answer to the question of whether we should pull out of Iraq or not, but I do know that President Bush is despicable. He not only broke laws and deceived the American people, he knowingly violated, without remorse, the most sacred document in US history and the foundation of this great country, but he flaunts it and vows to continue to do it.

Before you go calling people who have websites like this, or me for that matter, un-American, remember what started this country, where we came from, and why the numerous and redundant checks and balances were put into place. We DID NOT TRUST ANY ONE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION. It is more American to question than to sit by and ignore things based on party line. If you voted for Bush that does not mean you have to agree with everything he does or support his lies.

President Bush has damaged democracy more than any president in history, including Nixon. He has violated laws and continues to believe that he has to power to do so. He needs to be removed from office as well as all those that have assisted him in doing it. We need to send a message to our government that they are there for the best interest of the United States, and as strong as it seems, it can be fragile. The ONLY way to destroy the United States of America is corruption from within the government.

At least I got that off my chest,

Dan
USMC

Phil wrote:

> Questioning the government is not abandoning the troops.

You are so right. I am so grateful and proud of the soldiers who have gone to
Iraq. They are fighting because of their devotion to America and its democratic
ideals. To think that their loyalty is being abused by a self-serving "chicken
hawk" like Bush makes me terribly sad.

> There is so much proof of corruption, scandal, law breaking, abuse of power,
> etc… that they do not have to “embellish” their case.

That's a very good point. The opposition to Bush is really a middle of the road movement. Anyone who values the US Constitution and loves America can see that Bush is not good for either. I am sometimes asked why I do not publish more controversial material on, for example 9/11 conspiracies. My response is that we can't even keep up with the constant stream of obvious wrong-doing so why pursue dubious claims.

Thank you for your service and for your letter.

Peace,
Phil