The dishonesty of the Iraq campaign is not contested by many at this point in time. Bringing the troops home NOW is a cry that comes from the hearts of the families of our soldiers. It has also become a slogan on the lips of many a politician and "peace activist." There are rumbles in the ranks, for many who opposed this war before March 2003 are in favor of our troops staying there now to "finish the job" and "help the Iraqis democratize." Permit me to address this and other contradictions that are placing our troops in a very unenviable position, morally, physically, spiritually, and financially.

The main responsibility for the plight of our soldiers and the Iraqis, at this period in time, rests on all of us at home. We, like many other nations, have learned and taught our children that dying in war to protect our nation was a noble thing. They die so others can live and they die to preserve our freedom. To show our appreciation, we dress them up, parade them on holidays, gloat if they happen to be our children, and tell them that the safety of this nation is in their hands, an awesome burden to place on any human being. In the meantime, we lie to them, pay them close to nothing, abuse them in all their being while telling them they should feel privileged, and thank God when they go to war that there is someone else besides us doing the unthinkable. We cheer them on when they go to war, but we are furious when they die. We promise them a good education and a career, but we neglect to emphasize that most of them will not achieve their goals.

War, by definition, is an act of organized violence and murder. There is no sanitary way to put it and it would be deceitful to try to do so. Soldiers kill and get killed. They also become disabled and disable others for life. They are hit with a barrage of mental, ethical, and spiritual dilemmas in the most tragic and uncomfortable times. They do not have the luxury of contemplation or the friendly shoulder to cry on. The contemplation they could have done should have been done before they went to war. They cannot even voice their opinions or they think they cannot voice their opinions.

If we truly value our soldiers, we have to look at them as human beings, not as glorified X-Men who are admired for what the uniform bestows upon them because that uniform is a symbol of POWER. We have to stop claiming we support them every chance we get because that phrase has become meaningless in the midst of this obscene reality.

- When pro-war people throw around the phrase SUPPORT OUR TROOPS every time there is the call for peace, that is not supporting them, it is hypocritical.
- Cheering them on into battle is not supporting them; it is criminal.
- Telling those of them who suffered through it all that we do not have the money to help them is betrayal.
- Chanting SUPPORT OUR TROOPS to wage political campaigns or to discredit the opposition is not supporting them; it is immoral.

This message is mainly for the families and loved ones of our military. The most important people who can have the most influence on them are you. We all have to be honest with our children. We cannot encourage them to join the military when they are so young and expect that they will come back safe and whole. No one who has gone to a real war does, and if they say they did, they are either lying or they are a psychopath.

I have never served in the military, but I lived in a war-torn country for many years. It was a different time and a different place. Nationalism, patriotism, tribalism, and religious affiliations mean nothing to me at this point. Many times I wish I could forget the things that I do remember and remember the things I have forgotten. It is sad how all the happy memories are gone. Do we want our children to have those experiences, and for what purpose? But we all know the answer.

It is our responsibility as their parents to educate them about why wars continue to be fought and what the ludicrous reasons given for their necessity are. We should tell them that, at this point in our human history, there is no such thing as a JUST WAR and that ninety percent of all victims are civilians. We should teach them that nationalism and war always go hand in hand and that it is wrong for people to die for profit and for symbols that we create to oppress each other. We should even go a step further; we should SHOW them at a young age what it is like to live in war. The plight of civilians, infantry, and guerilla fighters has always been set aside, especially during the preparation phases of a campaign, when demonizing those we seek to destroy is taking a hold. We create false barriers to dehumanize our "opponents" who only last night could have been our friends, neighbors, or allies of the day.

They should be shown what shrapnel, bullets, and other flying objects can do to a person's body and mind. Surgeons have committed suicide because had been paralyzed by bullets and could not practice. Children were frozen with their arms and tiny fingers gripping the lifeless bodies of their fathers after a bombing raid, screaming, not letting go until the paramedics pried them away physically or with the help of a sedative. Twelve-year old children with their abdominal cavities wide open and dying because of a mortar attack. Pedestrians were fleeing the murderous rampage of a sniper intent on adding a notch to his belt and cash to his pocket book. Snipers used elephant bullets sometimes. Babies burnt with white phosphorous shells dropped from airplanes. Their bodies continued to burn for hours in morgues, even after being dunked in water for half an hour. Soldiers have killed to survive and questioned their actions later on. They have seen their friends die and get injured. Alcohol and drug sales go up during and after war. So do the sales of heart and blood pressure medications, anti-anxiety and anti-depressant drugs and sleeping pills. We should not forget the number of disabled who will not be able to obtain self-sustaining jobs in many cases and will be a burden on their society and families. Then there are those who kill for the thrill of it. We seem to forget about them in the midst of the patriotism and the moral justifications. This is just a miniscule glimpse of what war has done to people. The sad part is that the absurdity of it all really becomes apparent at that moment of no return.

But most of us know that. So why do we continue to send our young people into a profession whose main aim is to serve those with a desperate drive for power and greed? We do it because we fall into the same traps that our young men and women fall into. We do it because we have come to believe the contradictions and because we are always living in fear; fear of our neighbors, fear of those who look different, and fear that if we do not stay in the center we could be regarded with suspicion. We even fear whatever god we believe in. We do it because we have learned to accept that, as Americans and as the strongest nation on Earth, we have the moral responsibility and the ability to "help" others through military intervention. What is apparent, now that many in the peace movement are backtracking from the position of bringing the troops home NOW, is that even "peace activists" can succumb to that fear and moral mediocrity. This is not due to malice, but to a superficial understanding of what nations are all about and how the play of power and alliances works. Many forget that the reasons for the invasion and occupation of Iraq have not changed since the beginning of 2003. We did not go in to help the Iraqis in the first place and we certainly are not there to help them now.

I cannot profess that there are easy answers to this, but there are answers. They do require much work over a period of generations. People who believe that even a god can be sacrificed and nailed to a piece of wood, will learn to tolerate the horrors happening to our children all over the world. After all, isn't that what humans have always done, sacrificed children out of fear and to appease some god? We still use the same archaic symbols today. In many instances, the state has replaced the gods. We make it honorable for their bodies, minds, and souls to be desecrated in such obscene ways. We do not do it because we are uncaring towards our children. We do it because we think we are doing the right thing and then we feel guilty when they come back to us torn to pieces literally and figuratively. Denial and guilt are a fabulous coping mechanism. The price paid to us, as their families and fellow citizens, by those in power is given to us in the form of PRIDE. We are told we should be proud that our children gave what is dearest to them and us for their nation. It makes it easier to accept their death. Collectively, we have learned to choose the easy way out at the expense of our children.

We have to learn to step outside our bubble of comfort and mediocre values. We have advocate for the rights of our children BEFORE they enter such tragic situations. We have to give them the tools to enable them (and us) the courage to stand up for what is moral and right in ALL situations, and we have to do it for the good of all, all the time.

We have to learn to trust the people we admire and not marginalize them because we think that others will not listen to them. We should elect politicians that embody our truest values and not vote for the ones we think stand a better chance of winning. If we bargain with our values, we are bargaining with the lives of our children and the children of the world. Basically, we are in this struggle for the good of all. Peace and freedom will have a chance if we practice justice for ALL and if we place human life and dignity above patriotism, nationalism, god, consumerism, and empty slogans.

The agony of our soldiers and their families is heart searing. We should all be angry at what is happening to them. To those that come home, we have to make a promise not to let them be used in such a manner ever again. It seems we have not learned the lessons of Vietnam, Lebanon, and Mogadishu very well.

We build our societies from the bottom up. It starts at the individual and family level. Our actions have to embody our values. If we value the lives of our children, there can only be one path, demilitarization and minimizing the role of military intervention in conflict resolution and eliminating it for profit motives. There are other less destructive methods, including good intelligence gathering, international police work, and diplomacy before the catastrophe.

We have to try hard to bring our troops home NOW because they and the people of Iraq are the most precious in this mad quagmire.

To the families of those in Iraq, the thoughts and prayers of many are with you and remember that many of your citizens and citizens around the world care deeply.

Marilyn Farhat
San Luis Obispo, CA.
February 9, 2004.