I've lost people overseas, but I support the war. Why? Not because I necessarily agree that we should be in Iraq, but because even if I don't agree with the president's decisions, I will abide by them. Why? Because he was elected by the country, and if we as citizens can't keep our uneducated noses out of other people's business, then voting is worthless. We vote for officials so that there are people who can spend their lives figuring out what's best to do, and then we trust them.

So cool it. It doesn't matter whether the war is right or wrong; your friend didn't die for Iraq, he dies because we have a military that will do what it must under orders, regardless of how its members disagree with the causes. And that is national defense. I'm sorry you lost somebody. But try to understand that not everybody hates the war in Iraq, and some people think it was worth it for what it did for the country.

We grew up.

~Dan

Dan,

You say those things to an idiot. You say those things to people who chose not to vote then bash the president. You DONT however, say those things to someone who has lost a friend is and is a little angry.

We grew up? That was a little uncalled for.

Trinitie

I hope you were also against the war to stop Milosevic and his genocide. Americans died there too, and for what? Somebody else.

"I hope you were also against the war to stop Milosevic and his genocide. Americans died there too, and for what? Somebody else."

Ask the Kurds, Shia, and Kuwaitis what they think of Saddam Hussein, and if they are sleep better now that he is gone. We have lost several hundred soldiers, but Hussein has killed hundreds of thousands of his own people and neighbors. Was that the "real" reason we went? I don't really care. The benefits for the people there are inherent, regardless of intent.

Look at other nations where the leaders of the military decided that they didn't have to take orders. If the military was allowed to decide what to and not to do, you would have a military dictator in no time at all.
I am sorry your friend was killed, but it was his job to go and do what he was told. If the main concern of the military was self preservation, we would never help anyone, anywhere in the world. Millions of people have benefited from that help in the last few decades, even when you exclude the most controversial conflicts.

I wonder if we'll still think the war was helpful ten years from now. Will Sadaam be replaced by another tyrant? It happened in Haiti.

Dan, get off your high horse for a second and read what this person has written.

They're obviously in pain over the loss of their friend...they're grieving, and I would imagine very angry about the circumstance that took their friend's life. The last thing I would want were I in their shoes is someone saying what you did, almost preaching to me like you did them.

I find it ironic too, that you're spouting off about how 'we' elect officials..when you're not even old enough to vote yet.

'We grew up'...yeah, that was uncalled for too.

I don't see what's wrong with Dan arguing that his friend didn't die in vain. Would it be better to agree and say: "Yeah. Your friend's actions won't be appreciated by anybody ever."

Good Point, SUperbaby, I'll give you that. But the way he presented it was still rather harsh.

Trinitie

I am sorry but, i dont have any respect or sympathy for your troops on a millitary level, because you are an invading force, and As Dan said, you guys essentially elected your president, so its YOUR fault.

As a democracy, the presidet is just a representative of collective thoughts.

Each situation is circumstantial, and as a disclaimer to anyone trying to undermine what i say, i know WW2 vets were invading as well, but that is different.

Ann, i am truely sorry for the loss of your friend though... you kow how i feel about the issue...

Even if one doesn't agree with the war, that doesn't mean the friend's life was wasted. I'm sure there's someone in Iraq that's thankful for people like him.

Our tyranny will end. Of that you can be sure. The little colony has grown up, and yet... ?

My sympathy is reserved for very few circumstances, and none of those circumstances include people who take out their anger by insulting a massive group of people who are risking their lives to serve their country. I understand the pain of losing a friend, and I also understand that it's in pain that it's most important to hold to certain standards. Like not infliciting that pain on other people.

But that's not adequate to express a view, so I'll write a blog on it. Take it easy fellas, I didn't mean to offend anybody. Incidentally, "we grew up" was referring to the fact that we grew up as a country because of the war. My apologies if this was misrepresented.

~Dan

I do agree with you on many of your colorful and heartfelt points. My husband served in country - VN 67-68. He was drafted just out of high school. I was a 'one of those' protesters back then just as I am now.

For years, I've had the War Prayer by Mark Twain [http://www.lone-star.net/mall/literature/warpray.htm] pinned to my bulletin board.

Another writing is pinned next to it. I paste part of it here:

Seth: “But when all the young men refuse to kill for the sake of peace, and when all the women forbid their men to kill for the sake of peace, and when you realize that no peace will come through killing, and that the end does not justify the means, and when you grow full and light with thoughts of peace, then there will be an end to war. But as long as any men go to war for the sake of peace, there will be war.

“And, as long as any woman teaches her sons how to go to war because of love of the peace, there will be war.

“You make your world. When you populate your world with ideas of peace, then peace will grow. When you think thoughts of aggression, you attract aggression and YOU draw it out from others in daily contact, and on the part of nations.

“When you do not understand yourselves, you project what you do not understand upon others - upon your friends and associates - and then you become afraid of what you do not understand, not understanding that it is your own fear. And you do the same thing as a nation with other nations. There is no way to insure peace but for every man, EVERY MAN, to lay down his arms….

“And many off you still think that peace must be quiet and dignified, and excitement is to be found only where there is not peace. But that is only because you have not pursued peace in all of its creative endeavors…''

He didn't die serving his country, it was fucking non combat.

He was killed. Not while fighting. So much for protecting our country.

And I support our troops, but it's not their fault that they're over there. It isn't their choice. They're serving what they're supposed to.

But for what purpose?

And Dan, I'd really like to swear at you right now, but whatever.

~Anne

I hate to say this, but were they forced to join the military?