Say, "Please".

I mentioned Jeff Key's documentary, Semper Fi, a few days ago. Jeff said that he saw a Marine talking to an Iraqi child, who was very hungry. The Marine had a Starburst in his hand and the child was begging for it. The Marine, rather than handing it over with a smile, since he not only had food, but CANDY, forced the child to say, "please".

Please? Are you kidding me? This is what we're teaching our soldiers in Values Training (not one Marine stepped in to stop it, and many laughed at the story when it was later retold)? We're getting rid of soldiers who have incredible loyalty to our country and amazing compassion for the people they were told attacked us for no other reason than their sexual preference, and yet we choose to allow these barbarians who are capable of unwarranted hatred towards the innocent to serve in our Armed Forces and represent our country.

We are not the cause of Islamofascism, but we are most certainly not the cure, not when Marines are requiring the contrition of hungry children before offering them a small piece of candy. It is stories like this (and there are a thousand of them) that reduce my pride in being an American, and even more, my pride in those who serve my country.

Yeah... I Don't Think So

To look at the conflict in Iraq as anything other than a problem created by our arrogant government for their own profit is more than a little naive. President Bush and his friends created this war from a pack of lies, and and THAT is the basis for the anti-war movement, (well, that and the fact that we're stuck in an endless war that is being incredibly mismanaged) NOT that "we have brought the wrath of Islamofascism upon ourselves", though invading a sovereign nation in the middle of territory controlled by Islamofascists probably didn't help us any.

We did not have to invade a country that had NOTHING to do with us being attacked in order to protect ourselves as much as possible from Islamofascists. Screening Visa applicants a little more vigilantly, making sure our boarders are secure, slowly withdrawing our unconditional support for Israel, reducing our dependence on oil, and staying the hell out of their territory would have been a good start. And a better way to Support the Troops.

And one more reason for the Anti-War Movement:
3,607 US Soldiers have been killed in Iraq
26,588 US Soldiers have been wounded in Iraq

What is the reason we are expending the lives of those who have offered to give them so freely for their nation?