Goin' To War!

[Kzinti]

[RICoder]

[Anon]

[James S]

Dear Mom,
It's really your decision to march if you want to or not. You are the one who has to decide if what we are doing out here is right or not. My opinion is not yours.
I do, however, have things I would like for you and Grandma and everyone else at home to know.
I am a United States soldier. I was sworn to defend my country against all enemies, foreign and domestic. People may not agree with the things we are ordered to do. I would like to address those people by telling them that terrorism is not only a threat to us as Americans, but to many other innocent people in the world.
What type of country would we be if we didn't defend the rights and freedoms of others, not because they're Americans, but how about just because they're human?
We live in a country where people feel secure with their daily lives. They do business like usual and don't worry about the thought of terrorism actually happening to them.
The people of 9-11 thought the same thing. We now know that it can happen to anyone at any time.
Yet as Americans we're afraid of losing our soldiers to defend our security. I can only speak for myself when I say that my life is an easy expense to ensure that my family and friends can live in peace.
I strongly believe in what we are doing and wish you were here to see for yourselves the honor and privilege that American soldiers aboard this ship are feeling, knowing that we are going to be a part of something so strong and so meaningful to the safety of our loved ones. Then you would know what this potential war is about.
We will stand tall in front of terrorism and defeat it. We as soldiers are not afraid of what may happen. We are only afraid of Americans not being able to understand why we are here.
I ask for your courage as Americans to be strong for us; I ask for your understanding in what we believe is right. I ask for your support in what we are sworn to do: defend our country and the life of all.
We will succeed in our task and will end the threat of terrorism in our back yard. We will also end the threat of terrorism in our neighbors'.
We have to remind ourselves of what this country stands for: life, liberty and justice for all. In order to maintain those rights we have to stop the threat of terrorism.
I am proud to be here. I will be coming home, but not until I know that it's going to be safe for all Americans and for everyone I love.
My family is first. My country is where they live. I will defend it.
Lonnie J. Lewis
Navy corpsman
C Co. 1/4 WPN PLT
UIC 39726
FPO AP 966139726
P.S. Mom, please send this to everyone who has a hard time understanding why we are here. Ask the paper to put what I've said in a column so that others will know why we are here and what we are here for.
I love you all and will be home soon. I left my address so that if anyone feels like writing to let me know how they feel, they can.

[James S]

Just so y'all know, this thread seems the appropriate place, I'm planning on joining the Air Force or Navy either in 6 months or in a year and six months (after I get my undergraduate degree) from now.

[James S]

Anon, ("There is definition and there is shuffling words") You were arguing the exact opposite with me about the Afghanni prisoners, just so you know.

About the "funny POW" thing, your comprehension skills must need some polishing. RIC (aka Meum) told me that enemy POW's were refered to as EPW (Enemy Prisoners of War) because I was using incorrect terminology. That had nothing to do with the argument. The argument is whether those EPWs were non-combatant or military personnel. If they are military personnel then their rights fall under the Geneva convention guidelines. If, however, they are NOT military personnel, which they were not, there is no way you can say otherwise, then they are concidered non-combatant and are not prisoners of war, exactly what I alluded to when I called it a "police action" and not a military action, because the skirmishes were not military in nature. And as I previously said, technicalities do define legality. If you want to argue legality then you must argue technicality.

And just so I can follow along, what's a pinko? I'm not old enough for this cold war lingo.

"PS. Clinton didn't lost fecking germany, french and turkey all in one stroke and think bulgaria is our greatest ally." Anon. Clinton isn't the President right now and I highly doubt that Al Gore (or Nader, *laugh*) would be doing a better job right now. Plus, nice red herring, maybe you should stick to the arguments more instead of just bringing up things that have no relevance, or atleast TRY to explain their relevance after posting them.

"if my neighboor commit murder, I could just kill him," Meum said to "hold him accountable." Not kill him, this isn't the Ancient Near Middle East, it's present day Middle East. And you never answered his question to begin with. What is worse, the criminal or the person that stopped him by means to which some may object.

Of course the US soldiers aren't going to start shooting everything that moves. They're going to keep on doing exactly what they've been doing. You're truly psychotic if you think American soldiers are just going to start shooting off into the sandstorm because they heard a jeep horn. They're just going to be cautious. Now they double team surrendering soldiers, one behind with a weapon at ready and the other patting him down making sure he's not a Royal Guard. Now they don't just sit around when a truck comes zooming up to them, they stop it and inspect it. If it's civilian then I'm pretty sure twenty RPGs aren't going to be in the back of it.

We're not trying to create any democracy or goodwill, we ARE opposing badwill, crimes, and totalitarianism. Once it's gone it is our RESPONSIBILITY to help the government reform itself. Our objective is not to reform the government, that is only a side effect, one that we would be seen as irresponsible if we did not see out. We're not bombing any city into submission. We're bombing military targets only. Saddam placed his military targets under hospitals and such, which is why we're not hitting those and waiting until the ground forces can come clear them out individually. Not ONCE has a member of the coalition forces bombed a city. You may simple say "semantics" to that (which has been your usual argument so far), but that only goes to show how truly uncaring you are if the difference between a Nursing Home and a Chemical Weapons Facility is only semantics to you.

Hundreds of thousands, millions of people died so that we could have democracy, peace, and freedom in America today. Your disrespect towards that shows me yet again how you don't REALLY care for the soldiers that you insist that you care more for than Meum. The reason you don't feel that the world is a better place is because America is safe and secure BECAUSE of those soldiers that have died and are dying right now. Show some respect to those that gave you your LIFE and drop that sarcastic tone of yours you indignant little brat.
And YOU'RE the one that said we should kill everyone in Iraq to save on humanitarian aide. Whether you were sarcastic or not does not negate the fact that your mentality is that WARPED to think something like that up. I now understand why you can't grasp the concept of righteousness, your very soul is tainted.

"Remember, none of the hijackers are Iraqis. They are Saudis, kuwaitis and egyptians.... " what does nationality have to do with the hijackers of the planes on 9-11? Quite the racists bigot, I see. We're in Iraq because he has WMDs, he does harbour known terrorists that had ties to the 9-11 attacks, and has openly and repeatedly shown hatred towards America and praised the attackers of the World Trade Towers. We're not in there because of some racist idea that Egyptians all are members of terrorist organizations.

[sandmann]

[Paul]

[SiGen]

[sandmann]

[SiGen]

[Anon]

[RICoder]

[SiGen]

[Anon]