[JohnG]

Message from a Marine

During the entire history of the United States, a flag-draped coffin has been a symbol of pride and courage.

Why has the Bush administration been trying to deny that brave men and women are offering their lives to fight for their country in this war ? Why are these deaths an embarrassment ? And why is the GOP trying to make the display of these proud coffins a political issue ?

Is it because these soldiers are dying in a poorly devised war of absolutely no consequence ?

What an amazing disaster we have created.

By invading Iraq, we have destroyed Iran's greatest natural enemy. We have turned a nation that was opposed to al Qaeda into a haven for al Qaeda.

We have demonstrated that the United States is a depleted military force that must call upon its National Guard to fight international wars and cannot successfully occupy a small desert nation.

This can only have emboldened North Korea and Iran, and it has cost us the lives of thousands of our brave soldiers, countless billions of dollars, and international respect.

President Bush would undoubtedly ask, "but aren't you glad that Saddam is no longer in power ?"

Honestly, if I could place Saddam back in power and undo this war, I would do it in a micro-second. Saddam was not worth the loss of a single precious American life. He never was.

Iraq was never a direct threat to us. In truth, it was an enemy of al Qaeda. It was the only nation in the region with a secular leader.

As for those of you who are rabidly calling each other "libs," "Repukes," and "Dumbocrats..." You are immature and ignorant...truly unsophisticated and stupid. However, your conduct is evidence of a government that has been cold, divisive, and unable to bring us together as a nation.

I am entirely convinced that Congress and this Administration have become too partisan, dishonest, and corrupt to be effective.

I want fresh people in office.

I want people who are willing to put country before party or self-interests.

I want people in office with no agenda other than to manage this great nation effectively, and without drama.

I will not vote to re-elect any incumbent in the next elections, even incumbents who seem like nice people. I will especially not vote for anyone who has been involved with Rove, Frist, Bush, Cheney, Rice, Delay, or members of any Congress who have supported them.

Am I a "liberal" you ask ? No, I am a conservative.

How could a conservative take such a position, you ask ?

Well...

There is nothing conservative about not protecting our borders.

They are wide open.

There is nothing conservative about spending billions of dollars stubbornly
beating up Iraqi's while ignoring true threats of terrorism.

Terrorism is a global enterprise that has very little to do with Iraqi's.

There is nothing conservative about reducing Veterans' health benefits.

There is nothing conservative about deciding to not honor international
treaties, many which were drafted by Reagan and Ford.

There is nothing conservative about cutting federal matching funds to police departments, reducing local police forces, and allowing immature gang punks to vandalize our cities, control our streets, and kill more innocent citizens than the 9-11 terrorists could have dreamed of.

There is nothing conservative about proudly violating the 6th Amendment to the Constitution, and ignoring the 10th.

There is nothing conservative about lowering taxes and then engaging in such out-of-control spending that we needed to raise the national debt ceiling to try to make it appear that we are financially secure.

There is nothing conservative about creating tax incentives to "outsource" our best jobs to The People's Republic of China.

There is nothing conservative about demonstrating shockingly weak military strategy, and not providing adequate armor for our troops.

We need a change.

For the sake of the nation, we need a change quickly.

...Paul

Husband, Dad, Cop, American Vet
3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, Vietnam