Speaking Out Hurts Troops’ Morale?

Posted on August 25, 2006 | 1 Comment

The Utah news has been filled with a variety of stories the past few days on how American citizens who are speaking out against the Iraq War are hurting the morale of our soldiers and making them more vulnerable to terrorist attacks.

This is unbelievable to me. Here is what hurts morale:

I heard a story from an Iraq vet last weekend who shared that in slow times there he and his buddies would do target shooting of small animals and objects. One day they were sitting around talking about their target shooting practice. One buddy of his became quite serious and said: You know what’s even more fun? Killing kids. A short time later, that person was witnessed purposefully turning his weapon on a group of children and killing them all.

I cried when I heard that story. Outside the tent where I heard that story is a garden of children’s shoes to symbolize the lives of children lost to war.

I HAVE to speak out on this. We are teaching our children to kill children and delight in this. This is not acceptable. By speaking out and demanding that we get out of Iraq, I feel I am helping our country to get out of a horrible, horrible situation – NOT hurting the morale of our troops.

Here are links to those stories:

Deseret News:
Rocky, vet exchange views: Mayor and Legion chief find little in common
‘America isn’t bad guy’: Legion chief fears Salt Lake protest will hurt morale

Salt Lake Tribune:
Family urges war support
Mother’s e-mail to The Trib

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One response to “Speaking Out Hurts Troops’ Morale?”

  1. jk_fabiani | August 25, 2006 at 5:16 pm | Reply

    I cry too.
    Bush & Blair’s war of choice rips another from their loved ones well before his prime


    The 19-year-old infantryman, from Wigan, Greater Manchester, was tormented by concern about what awaited him when the King’s Lancaster Regiment reached Iraq, where 115 British soldiers have been killed since 2003. He had even told his parents that he had been warned by his commanders that he could be ordered to fire on child suicide bombers. It was a fear that he never confronted. Within 48 hours of confessing his concerns to his family, Pte Chelsea was dead after taking an overdose of painkillers and slashing his wrists.
    On his death bed, he told his mother, Kerry: “I can’t go out there and shoot at young children. I just can’t go to Iraq. I don’t care what side they are on. I can’t do it.”
    […]
    “In training, they were made to wrestle with dummies. Jason said they were also told they might have to fight kids and that they might have to shoot them because they were carrying suicide bombs. He said the policy [where there was a suspected suicide bomber] was to shoot first and ask questions later.”
    […]
    He had joined the Army at 16 after a visit to his school, St. Augustine’s, telling his family the Army was to be his life. He was at home on leave when his fears came to a head this month.

    This is why we need a viable soldier antiwar movement – its life & death important. Those like Jason Chelsea who feel hopeless, trapped, bullied, left with no where to turn, they need support.

    GI Rights Hotline: http://www.girights.org
    Iraq Veterans Against The War: http://www.ivaw.org
    Veterans for blowing up the white house Peace http://www.veteransforpeace.org
    Gold Star Families for Peace: http://www.gsfp.org
    First commissioned officer to refuse to deploy to Iraq: http://www.thankyoult.org

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