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Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Weigh in Before Wednesday Night on VideoVets Project
From MoveOn.org and VoteVets:
The administration tries to call anyone who criticizes their policy in Iraq 'anti-troop,' but these video interviews show that 'supporting the troops' does NOT mean supporting an endless war. The voices of these veterans and military families are missing from the debate in Washington. Together we can make sure they become a vital part of the national dialogue around ending the war.
You and tell us what you think. You have until Wednesday night to weigh in on which video you think is most compelling. Then, Academy Award winning director Oliver Stone will turn it into a TV ad-spreading this message even further.
Here are some powerful excerpts from the videos:
California Gold Star Mom: I used to lay in bed at about 11 o'clock at night and imagine somebody would be knocking on my door. And I would visualize how I would respond to that, and lay in bed, "Go away, don't come here for that." And so every minute you just expected to get the knock at the door—I just worried so much that somebody would come to my house and ultimately that's what happened. I wrote this letter to Ken on the one year anniversary of his death..."I'm so proud that you chose to serve your country. And in the same thought I am so unbearably offended that this Administration used your good will, your patriotism, and your values to send you to fight their illegal, immoral, war of choice."
Pennsylvania Iraq Veteran: It never seemed to me that we were fighting Al Quaeda, Bin Laden, or the people who were responsible for attacking us on 9/11. The mission was so confusing, and it seemed as if everybody in the community disliked us. To keep American soldiers in Iraq for an indefinite period of time being attacked by an unidentifiable enemy is wrong, immoral, and irresponsible...I feel used and I feel misled by the Administration. I feel that my patriotism has been used and exploited, my willingness to fight for this country has been used and exploited. I'm very proud of my military service, but I'm very disappointed in the civilian leadership and the Administration for sending us needlessly into combat.
Indiana Iraq Veteran: When I was deployed to Iraq, we lacked crucial and necessary equipment and supplies...When I was in Iraq, I drove a pickup truck that you could buy off the lot anywhere at any Chevrolet dealership, and that was our means of transportation—that was the vehicle that we fought out of. We modified our pick-up truck to try to become a war fighting machine. We put a stand in the back of it so we could mount a machine gun in the back of the truck...It's important to end this war...we have our young men and women caught up in a religious and civil war, and we're doing more harm than good."
(Note: The views expressed in these interviews do not necessarily reflect the views of VoteVets or MoveOn.org Political Action, they are the views of interview subjects only.)
April 24, 2007 at 10:17 AM in Iraq War, Media, Visuals | Permalink