My Mission
December 5, 2003
By Anonymous

I can feel it rising up against my chest, trying desperately to leak out of my eyes. This feeling of anger and betrayal pushes my chest down faster than I want it to go, but my pride will not let me cry yet. There is too much to be done. I push the pain down and save it for another day when I can let my emotions cloud my mind.

For now, the mission remains.

My personal mission has changed over the two years since 9/11. In August 2001, I was gung-ho for Jesus, and President Bush was the God-appointed man-in-office. Now, I'm a soldier who doesn't believe in much anymore. The Bible didn't stand under the weight of my scrutiny. My Commander-in-Chief has sent my friends off to fight a war so that his friends and family can get rich.

My marriage is close to becoming a casualty in the war on terror. My sanity almost was, and my brain gave out under the stress. I have seizures that the Army caused, so my job in the war has been to sit on the sidelines and cheer. The problem is that the same scrutinizing intellect that found the message of the Bible to be inconsistent has found the message of my boss to be inconsistent.

We can all chant along to the mantra: no WMD's, no real intelligence, nothing worth going to war over. We can make the comparisons between this President and the last when it comes to Vietnam service. We can preach from the hilltops and sing in the valleys of his lies and infringements upon our liberties.

But, all of our preaching and proselytizing will go unnoticed by the general public until more people like me open their eyes. That's really all it took. I hid behind my flag, and my BDU's, so that I could rationalize the deaths of my friends and brothers. Then, I just looked out there to find that all the times I had stood behind the President, every time I thought of myself as more patriotic than the Dixie Chicks, every time I swallowed a little more from Bill O'Reilly, I was telling the President that he had free reign to go ahead and send more of my friends to die half a planet away from their home.

I know that I would die to defend my country. We have memorials here at the post where I am stationed. These memorials have the names of all the people who died for their country throughout the years. A long time from now, I'll come here and look at some new memorials, and I'll run my finger down the names until I come to one I recognize. I'll remember him and begin to cry. I hope that I can do that in nation where we are still as free as we were before terrorists flew planes into our buildings.

There is only one way that I can see that happening, though. It will not happen through politicians. Americans are not trustful of many politicians these days. Between the scandals of President Clinton, and the outright lies of President Bush, sometimes it's hard to tell whom to trust in D.C. (Personally, I'll probably vote for Dean.)

And, it is from Dean's campaign that I take the following idea: we start a movement where we hold family and friends meetings where we explain our positions and why we hold them. I'm going make heavy use of printouts from websites such as this. I'll give a list of places to go on the web or in their library to research all these things for themselves.

Some will listen. Some will try to argue. Some will just walk away. Don't argue with anyone who doesn't have the paper to back it up. Make sure you have paper to back your statements up. I know it's going to cost in paper and toner, but it will be worth the cost to see the President replaced.

Maybe, if enough people start becoming active in bringing down this President, we can cause a revolution in this country. If we get enough liberals out to the voting booths, we can alter the course of this nation's destiny. One candidate's campaign is doing it. (I'm not saying you should endorse Dean, specifically. Just show the people how bad President Bush is for the nation. You know, "We Report. You Decide," ha ha.) Imagine if every Democrat, or liberal who just wants to see a regime change here in America, did what's working so well in Ohio and New Hampshire.

We could come out in record numbers and blow away the conservatives in 2004. Hell, we could even win back Congress with a little extra effort to expose what your local congressperson has done to "help" the nation. On November 19, another author on this website wrote about apathy bringing the nation down. This is just one solution to the apathy. Change it to fit your needs and your circumstances. Hold open meetings at your colleges, or coffee talks after work. Be creative. Be energetic. Encourage others to vote. Give others the knowledge to make an informed decision. The last thing that conservatives want is an informed voter.

In efforts of honesty, I've never been a Democrat. I don't think I ever will be. But, if the President and his administration are what it means to be conservative, I'll never be a Republican, either.

If being conservative means that I have to advocate sending my friends to die, I'll step away from that plate. If Republican means I have to associate myself with Trent Lott and Pat Robertson, then count me out.

If being liberal means that I don't have to discriminate against homosexuals anymore, I'll be one. If being liberal means that I can love Muslims, Jews, Catholics, Hindus, and so on without telling them that I think they're going to Hell, I'll take that, too. Sure, liberals are human and make mistakes, but I hear "I'm sorry" a lot more from the left than I do from the right.

I just want to show that even a die-hard Christian conservative can be brought around. Not everyone can be "converted," so don't try too hard. Just give their brains a nudge in right - I mean, left - direction.

Think about what I've written as you go away to do other things. Two hundred and twenty seven years ago, thirteen upstart colonies defeated the most powerful military in the world for the right to be free. Today, we can defeat this President for the right to stay free. That is my mission.

The author wishes to remain anonymous due to the fact that he is still on active duty in the Army.