Dear Mr. President...
a few thoughts from a Soldier’s Mom in a time of war with all the talk of increasing troop levels.
I’ve been losing sleep the last few nights… my mind racing at 85 mph about the whole “new strategy” about to be announced. I’m not only anxious about the President’s announcement -- I’m agitated at all the politicians and “experts” popping up for 15 seconds in the limelight before the news is -- well, news.
Since I won't be at the White House on Wednesday or at Fort Benning on Thursday...
I’ve been losing sleep the last few nights… my mind racing at 85 mph about the whole “new strategy” about to be announced. I’m not only anxious about the President’s announcement -- I’m agitated at all the politicians and “experts” popping up for 15 seconds in the limelight before the news is -- well, news.
Since I won't be at the White House on Wednesday or at Fort Benning on Thursday...
Dear Mr. President: Common sense and reason tell me that just sending more soldiers and Marines without some fundamental change in the approach would be a mistake. If you are planning to send more troops, I hope you can make a clear and convincing argument… but be prepared if it’s just more of the same as I will be the first one to stand and tell you if I think you’re full of... it.
I do want victory in Iraq. I want a stable Iraq with an end to the sectarian violence. I want an entire future of peace and prosperity for the Iraqis… I want their children safe… and happy. But when all is said and done, I wish my son didn't have to go to Iraq again. I'm wishing and hoping his deployment isn't accelerated. I wish that no additional troops have to go -- hell, I wish the troops that are there didn't have to be there. I wish they all could come home. (Yeah, and if wishes were fast horses, well I’d ride and I’d ride and I’d ride…) I also accept the reality of the situation. We are at war. And we must succeed.
Mr. President, If you say that the way to succeed in Iraq is to send more troops, I say, Get it right. Be very sure, Mr. President. Before you send my son or anyone else’s son, be sure you and your advisors do a good job. And if you still say it’s the way to succeed -- if it's necessary in order to get ALL of our troops home sooner -- then I say, let’s go hard or go home. If 20,000 troops are what we need -- if it’s 40,000 -- then don’t hold back. Do it all. Do it well. Let’s just do it and be done with it. Let’s make sure our military have the equipment and whatever else they need to git ‘er done and then let’s get home.
and now...
Dear Fellow Americans (Dems, Repubs, Indies, left, right or none of the above): get behind this move -- whatever it is and whatever your reservations. You can bet our Soldiers and Marines are not going to Iraq to be additional targets. The heartbreaking fact is that more American troops are going to die whether we send additional troops or not. Some change is going to happen (whatever it is) whether you’re for it or against it -- so you might as well hope it succeeds. It may be true that we have sent small surges of troops before to no measurable effect, but remember what Thomas Edison said while working to get his lightbulb to light: “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” If sending additional troops didn’t work before it only means it didn’t work before. Even if you don't think so at the outset, what if this does work?? What if additional troops stabilizes Baghdad? What if it means we can get more trained Iraqi defenders in place? What if it means our troops get to come home sooner... and for good?
Dear Fellow Americans (Dems, Repubs, Indies, left, right or none of the above): get behind this move -- whatever it is and whatever your reservations. You can bet our Soldiers and Marines are not going to Iraq to be additional targets. The heartbreaking fact is that more American troops are going to die whether we send additional troops or not. Some change is going to happen (whatever it is) whether you’re for it or against it -- so you might as well hope it succeeds. It may be true that we have sent small surges of troops before to no measurable effect, but remember what Thomas Edison said while working to get his lightbulb to light: “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” If sending additional troops didn’t work before it only means it didn’t work before. Even if you don't think so at the outset, what if this does work?? What if additional troops stabilizes Baghdad? What if it means we can get more trained Iraqi defenders in place? What if it means our troops get to come home sooner... and for good?
And, my fellow Americans, if you can’t cheer for success -- for victory -- then, please, shut up. No one’s asking you to be a Presidential cheerleader… but the ONLY way to support our troops in this instance is to hope and pray and cheer for their success. Do not undermine the most difficult thing these military men and women will ever be called upon to do. Telling Soldiers and Marines that you hope they don’t succeed just so you never have to say that additional troops were right is just, well, wrong.
I, for one, will be calling upon the Higher Power to give guidance and wisdom to those who must counsel the President and to those who must send other people’s sons and daughters into danger. I cannot imagine anything harder… then again, yes I can…
I, for one, will be calling upon the Higher Power to give guidance and wisdom to those who must counsel the President and to those who must send other people’s sons and daughters into danger. I cannot imagine anything harder… then again, yes I can…
Copyright 2007 Some Soldier's Mom. All rights reserved.
For a comprehensive roundup of links to some very qualified people discussing a surge and the likely (or advisable) changes in strategy, be sure to check out BLACKFIVE.
posted by Some Soldier's Mom @ 7:12 PM
11 Comments
11 Comments:
I know for a fact that is the thoughts of every mom out there with sons and daughters that are there or will have to go back. Thanks for saying it all! I like you want victory in Iraq, I also think that like it or not we need to be behind our military even if we don't agree on war we can support the efforts they give a 100% every day. Once again Thank you Some Soldiers Mom for saying it so well.
Well done and god bless...
AubreyJ.........
Seems it would be a good idea for a lot of us to write something like this. I believe there's a huge agreement with many here. Thanks.
"Let's go hard and go home!" Short and to the point, and it should be our motto! Let's fight this war without the politicians tying one arm of our troops behind their back so that we can be effective. There's no point in trying to be at war and attempting to be politically correct at the same time.
May God bless and watch over your son if it comes to pass that he must return. May God bless and watch over your son anyway.
Dear God, enlighten the minds of our leaders. Show them the best way to make Baghdad and Iraq safer. Let our sons and daughters complete their mission successfully. Bring our sons and daughters home to us, soon. Give the people of Iraq the peace and prosperity they deserve...Amen
Once again mom you said it so well!
You always have a way of voicing the feelings of us moms out here...thank you.
You have said it all. Especially the "shutting up" part. I'm so frantically tired of all the blathering.
The president has a plan. You don't have to like or love him, but get behind the plan or get out of the way and shut up.
God Bless YOU for saying what I could not put into words. I checked your site just before the speech and it calmed me enough to listen with an open heart. My son returned safely to Ft Hood, from his second deployment the day before Thanksgiving. He has not been home for 3 years. My best Christmas gift this year was calling him and his wife on Christmas Day and HE answered his phone. I don't want him to go back, just like you I want them all home....but if we can win this thing and I mean everybody wins, then (just like you said) hit it and hit it hard. Let's get behind this...if you can't, then get out of the way and Shut Up!
you question the president, therefore you hate america and are a traitor.
the war is going great, the iraqis welcomed us as liberators, and it is now a free country.
why do liberals like you continually tear down our country?
------
oh wait. that was 2003. you told liberals to 'shut up' back then, you knew everything.
i guess in 2006 you still know whats best. and in 2009, 2012, 2022, 2042, 2072, you will be writing books about the 'great success' of the iraq war, and how it was all undermined by evil liberals and hollywood and the media and lesbians and so forth and so on. just like some people write now about how vietnam was well done, and evil liberals undermined it and sold us out to the commies (the chinese commies, who now make up more than half the production of the stuff you buy at wal-mart)
sorry. you just are not capable of understanding international politics or warfare, because you dont read history books. god is not going to help you if you stick a fork in your eyeball, and god isnt going to help you in iraq, which was just about as intelligent as sticking a fork in your eyeball.
jesus is rolling over in his grave at your ignorance, arrogance, and stupidity.
stop telling people to "shut up" and try shutting up yourself some time and listening to people instead of yammering on and on about your stupid foreign policy philosophy that you got out of a Jack Chick cartoon.
oh dear anonymous. you apparently can't read. I told ALL the politicians to shut up and sit down. I told EVERYONE to get behind this plan because American lives are at stake. if you can't, then shut up and sit down 'cause your bellyaching isn't doing anything but polluting the air. you are not part of the solution - you are part of the problem. if you have a solution, please speak up. otherwise, quit yer bellyachin'. sit down. shut up.
if you don't like it -- this is MY blog. go have your verbal sh*ts some place else... and here's a dime. call someone who cares what YOU think. I don't.
To Some Soldier's Mom:
Somehow ... we must be related. When I read you, it's like a mirror of my own thoughts, hopes, fears. Watching the national news tonight, I was screaming at all the bleeping idiots (democrats, so-called experts, news people, etc) "Do you have anything better? Instead of constantly trying to find fault, trying to place blame, why not try to be part of trying to find something that works."
My Son is still in Iraq. He was wounded by an IED on Dec. 5th and spent 2 weeks in the hospital over there. Now he's back out there, putting his life on the line everyday. I will be telling the politicians (both sides) "Don't put my Son's life in danger just because you want to win another election! If you can't work with our President and the military to find a way to win this war, then SHUT UP."
God bless you and yours, our troops, our President and our country.
Dixie
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