I'd say let the US military do it as they have in wars past. What's wrong with that?
At first I thought that Geode00 was just the handle you chose to use, maybe because you're some kind of geologist. But now, I have to believe it's a self-portrait related to your cranial capacity and highest IQ score..
Just how many times does someone have to tell you that there there are LIMITATIONS, imposed by CONGRESS, and part of that "PEACE DIVIDEND" you were so in favor of, that prevents the military from recruiting more people to be truck drivers!!!!
There's a manpower cap in the Army. It can ONLY be raised through legislative action by CONGRESS, which must allocate the funding.
So for the military to recruit more truck drivers, it has to downsize some other critical skill area (which then has to be contracted out to a "war profiteer" corporation.
If you think we need to expand the size of the US military so that, once again, there are more transportation and other support units in uniform, I'M COMPLETELY IN AGREEMENT.
But lamblasting the Bush administration is not the answer. You need to write your Congressman and Senator and demand it. Because Congress controls the purse-strings in our government.
I also think it would be a very good thing to do a roster reading of dead Iraqis along with their ages and their occupations.
Did Ted Koppel have the names of the victims of 9/11 read on his program?
Maybe he should read the names of all the victims, worldwide, that are killed by Al Qai'da and it's affiliated Islamic Militant entities..
Here's some comments from a friend of mine, currently in the Baghdad area:
*********************************
I just read a news story of two women in Indonesia who were attacked by
a group of men with knives and machetes. One of the women was killed.
The other was seriously wounded. The reason for the attack? The men
were Muslim extremists. The women were guilty of selling cosmetics to
other women. Arrogant and self-indulgent are the two words that come to
mind. The same thing can happen to young girls in Iraq or Afghanistan
who adopt Western clothing or dress "immodestly' (skirt and blouse).
Beaten, or with acid thrown into their faces.
*******************
So how come the name of this woman was not on Ted Koppel's show? Don't cosmetic saleswomen, who are victims of an intolerant and oppressive militant theology, have the same value as a soldier who fought and died to free people from this kind of tyranny??
Reading people's names on the news is just a glorified form of statistical body counting. If they wish to honor the sacrifice of these fine men and women, they would ALSO include their thoughts and beliefs, as reflected in their letters home to family and loved ones.
And example.. A few weeks ago, we had a Special Forces officer who, for reasons still unknown, inadvertantly and prematurely stepped out of a helicopter engaged in a heliborne raid assault. We believe he must have become disoriented and thought they helicopter was about to touch down. Unfortunately, the helicopter was still 200 feet above the ground and plummeted to his death.
But what was special is that Stars and Stripes posted one of his last emails to his family written just prior to his deployment, within which, he urged his family to understand how honored he felt to be engaged in serving his country in Iraq. And that should he die, he urged them to do nothing that would undermine his beliefs in the necessity of conducting this war against Islamic Militants. It left a sense that, somehow, he had a premonition that he might die during his deployment.
Now THAT is how you honor a servicemember who has sacrificed his life doing his duty. Not just by reading his/her name on some nightly show, without recounting the thoughts and feelings that reflected their inner soul.
Should I die there, I truly hope that my name is NEVER incorporated into such a demeaning and superficial "body count". You might as well p*ss on my grave.. (and I'm sure you'd be first in line.. right?)
Hawk |
