Reply #9: I don't have any words for you, Mr. and Mrs. Flory

[gratuitous]

It sounds like you had a pretty good idea from the get-go what this invasion was all about, and the reasons for opposing it. You can't answer for your son's choices once he is of age. Love him through, and hope for the best.

But also, keep in mind that it was the Bush administration and the Republican congress that betrayed your son's trust. Your son agreed to give up several years of his life, trusting that the leaders in Washington would not use him as a political pawn in a great game. The government has broken that trust, and it's up to your son whether he wants to continue honoring his end of the agreement. Unfortunately, all the law belongs on the side of the military and the government, which it must. But what's worth more to your son: Honoring his commitment and continuing his unwilling complicity with this international crime, or laying down his weapons and vowing to support war no more?