Sgt. Mora and daughter Jordan.
I imagine there will be much discussion and wringing of hands over the recommendations that Gen. Petraeus and Amb. Crocker have made to President Bush. While everyone will be analyzing the possible conditions in Iraq a year from now, soldiers are still dying.
Not much was made of the Op Ed, written by seven soldiers, and published in the NYT. It now appears that two of those soldiers, Sgt. Omar Mora and Sgt. Yance Gray, died Monday. Another was shot in the head, but apparently survived, before the Op Ed was published.
Given the situation, it is important not to assess security from an American-centered perspective. The ability of, say, American observers to safely walk down the streets of formerly violent towns is not a resounding indicator of security. What matters is the experience of the local citizenry and the future of our counterinsurgency. When we take this view, we see that a vast majority of Iraqis feel increasingly insecure and view us as an occupation force that has failed to produce normalcy after four years and is increasingly unlikely to do so as we continue to arm each warring side.If you haven't read this intelligent assessment of the situation in Iraq, I encourage you to click on the link and read it. The Op Ed did not receive near the attention of the Op Ed published by Michael O'Hanlon and Kenneth Pollack arguing that the surge is working (O'Hanlon and Pollack are still alive). "Use common sense" is a phrase that is often muttered by conservatives. Here is some common sense written by seven (now five) grunts on the ground. Who knows more about the actual situation on the ground than a sergeant?
I'm not known to be overly emotional. But as I write this my eyes are actually misting up. How many of those seven courageous sergeants (now five) are going to come out of this senseless war alive?
Sgt. Mora was coming home to Texas in November and was on his second tour in Iraq. He leaves a wife and a five year old daughter. Sgt. Gray also leaves a wife and a daughter.
2 comments:
Every life is precious - including those killed on 9-11-01. Sgt. Mora is a hero who did his duty, despite his misgivings, and as such he is worthy of all the honor and praise this country can bestow upon him.
One thing to consider, have you ever heard of a GI that didn't bitch about their situation? The paragraph provided would suggest that Sgt. Mora gave considerable thought to his situation, so it wasn't just an outright bitch, but as my ex-Marine father has always said: "A bitching Marine is a happy Marine and I'm happy all the time!"
The military is a cross-section of this country, so wouldn't you expect to have a wide range of views on the subject? The seven soldiers noted by the NY Times are prefectly free to have their own opinions, but as far as the NY Times is concerned, it has been shown time and again that they have their own agenda, not to mention reporters who just make up stories (Jason Blair) or outright lie about things.
My nephew leaves for Afghanistan next month, and he has the complete love and support of his family, not only for his safe return, but for the success of our efforts against these Islamic animals who have no desire for diplomacy or peace.
PCS, regardless of one's position on the war, death is a subject matter that has occupied my thoughts constantly, so I can understand your anger and frustration when you read about what you must consider to be "senseless" deaths. Senseless or meaningful, just because death is a part of life doesn't make it any easier to accept. When my 27 year old daughter died suddenly last December 5th, my world collapsed. For the past 9 months I have struggled with a depression so severe that at times I hoped my heart would just stop beating. I am back to work, albeit not whole-heartedly, and I have other children, a wife and grandchildren, and none of that makes a damn bit of difference when the depression returns unbidden. I'm in the mist again - it's been two weeks since I've left the house, I don't remember the last time I showered or brushed my teeth, and the only thing that feel like doing on most days is blogging about politics - how freakin' pitiful is that?
I don't know why I just shared all of that with you, perhaps just to let you know that this particular conservative loathes war and death, cares about bringing freedom and democracy to the world, and longs again for the day when he can touch his daughter's face.
Writing a reasoned opinion piece about the situation on the ground in Iraq is far from "bitching". Is it because they are enlisted men it might be considered "bitching". What about the reports from various Generals that disagree with the way the war is being conducted? Is that "bitching" too? That Op Ed was one of the best written, most reasoned opinion pieces about Iraq that I've read in years. But since it was published in the NYT it shouldn't count for much. Damn man, where have you been? It was the NYT that led us into this damn war.
Post a Comment