Letters from soldiers to Michael Moore (His new book)

[roguevalley]

From: Specialist Willy
Sent: Tuesday March 9 2004 1.23pm
Subject: Thank you


Mike, I'd like to thank you for all of the support you're showing for the soldiers here in Iraq. I am in Baghdad right now, and it's such a relief to know that people still care about the lemmings who are forced to fight in this conflict.

It's hard listening to my platoon sergeant saying, "If you decide you want to kill a civilian that looks threatening, shoot him. I'd rather fill out paperwork than get one of my soldiers killed by some raghead." We are taught that if someone even looks threatening we should do something before they do something to us. I wasn't brought up in fear like that, and it's going to take some getting used to.

It's also very hard talking to people here about this war. They don't like to hear that the reason they are being torn away from their families is bullshit, or that their "president" doesn't care about them. A few people here have become quite upset with me, and at one point I was going to be discharged for constantly inciting arguments and disrespect to my commander-in-chief (Dubya). It's very hard to be silenced about this when I see the same 150 people every day just going through the motions, not sure why they are doing it.

< Willy sent an update in early August >

People's perceptions of this war have done a complete 180 since we got here. We had someone die in a mortar attack the first week, and ever since then, things have changed completely. Soldiers are calling their families urging them to support John Kerry. If this is happening elsewhere, it looks as if the overseas military vote that Bush is used to won't be there this time around.

"Dear Mike, Iraq Sucks" http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1319718,00.html

[ComerPerro]

1. I wonder if he gets hate mail from troops

Well, yes, of course, he probably does. Or, at least, from FReepers here in the States pretending to be soldiers.

It would be funny if he included some of those.

[Katherine2]

2. I'm going to Costco

tomorrow to get the F911 DVD. I hope they have this book, too.

[Jane Austin]

4. I didn't see it there today, although

I did see stacks and stacks of "Unfit for Command".

[DRoseDARs]

3. And they're probably form letters to boot. eom

:eyes: Sickening.

[Columbia]

5. Will there be a letter from the soldier in F911 who lost his arms?

[Steelangel]

6. wow..

I feel heartbroke when I read these comments by soldiers. I feel sad about that.

I definitely have to buy the books that wrote by Moore to give some supports for these soldiers.

I just don't see how can repukes so asshole and heartless to these soldiers. We need to wipe them out before they damage our freedom permanently!

[crickets]

7. "They live here."

"They are used to it."

The double-edged irony of that statement was lost, obviously, on the staff sergeant with an attitude.

I'm sure Mike got nasty letters too, but from this sample it's obvious that there are many thoughtful, troubled servicemembers who want someone, anyone to hear their stories and to give them tools to try to help clean up this mess without getting killed. The sense of betrayal is a common thread through all of the letters. Both our military and the Iraqi people are being betrayed. Isn't it amazing that British press, yet again, has the larger stones it takes to run the story?

After some of Peter Jennings' sanctimonious, 'dog scratching leaves over the crap' comments from last week's show on C-SPAN... grrr.