Another super-patriotic e-mail from my friend, I have to respond

[springhill]

this time. Here is the e-mail I received with my response and an editorial from Andrew Greeley attached. What do you think?

>
>
>
>
> WOW, that was a tear jerker... I'd really love to be in a place where
> something like that happened; it would definitely bring instantaneous
> joy to ones heart. And yes I will be sending this to all I know even
> those I believe would not wear red as they might want to know what it's
> all about.
>
>
>
> The daughter of a Soldier
>
> Last week I was in Atlanta, Georgia attending a conference. While I
> was in the airport, returning home, I heard several people behind me
> beginning to clap and cheer. I immediately turned around and witnessed
> one of the greatest acts of patriotism I have ever seen.
>
> Moving through the terminal was a group of soldiers in their camo's as
> they began heading to their gate everyone (well almost everyone) was
> abruptly to their feet with their hands waving and cheering. When I saw
> the soldiers, probably 30-40 of them, being applauded and cheered for,
> it hit me. I'm not alone. I'm not the only red blooded American who
> still loves this country and supports our troops and their families.
>
> Of course I immediately stopped and began clapping for these young
> unsung heroes who are putting their lives on the line everyday for us so
> we can go to school, work and home without fear or reprisal. Just when I
> thought I could not be more proud of my country or of our service men
> and women a young girl, not more than 6 or 7 years old, ran up to one of
> the male soldiers. He kneeled down and said "hi," the little girl then
> she asked him if he would give something to her daddy for her. The young
> soldier, he didn't look any older than maybe 22 years old himself, said
> he would try and what did she want to give to her daddy. Then suddenly
> the little girl grabbed the neck of this soldier, gave him the biggest
> hug she could muster and then kissed him on the cheek.
>
> The mother of the little girl, who said her daughter's name, was
> Courtney, told the young soldier that her husband was a Marine and had
> been in Iraq for 11 months now. As the mom was explaining how much her
> daughter, Courtney, missed her father, the young soldier began to tear
> up. When this temporarily single mom was done explaining her situation,
> all of the soldiers huddled together for a brief second. Then one of the
> other servicemen pulled out a military looking walkie-talkie. They
> started playing with the device and talking back and forth on it. After
> about 10-15 seconds of this, the young soldier walked back over to
> Courtney, bent down and said this to her, "I spoke to your daddy and he
> told me to give this to you." He then hugged this little girl that he
> had just met and gave her a kiss on the cheek. He finished by saying
> "your daddy told me to tell you that he loves you more than anything and
> he is coming home very soon."
>
> The mom at this point was crying almost uncontrollably and as the
> young soldier stood to his feet he saluted Courtney and her mom.
>
> I was standing no more than 6 feet away from this entire event
> unfolded. As the soldiers began to leave, heading towards their gate,
> people resumed their applause. As I stood there applauding and looked
> around, there were very few dry eyes, including my own. That young
> soldier in one last act of selflessness turned around and blew a kiss to
> Courtney with a tear rolling down his cheek.
>
> We need to remember everyday all of our soldiers and their families
> and thank God for them and their sacrifices. At the end of the day, it's
> good to be an American.
>
>
> Red Friday
>
> Just keeping you "in the loop" so you'll know what's going on in case
> this takes off. RED FRIDAYS ----- Very soon, you will see a great many
> people wearing Red every Friday. The reason? Americans who support our
> troops used to be called the "silent majority". We are no longer silent,
> and are voicing our love for God, country and home in record breaking
> numbers. We are not organized, boisterous or over-bearing. We get no
> liberal media coverage on TV, to reflect our message or our opinions.
>
> Many Americans, like you, me and all our friends, simply want to
> recognize that the vast majority of America supports our troops.
> Our idea of showing solidarity and support for our troops with dignity
> and respect starts this Friday - and continues each and every Friday
> until the troops all come home, sending a deafening message that ..
> Every red-blooded American who supports our men and women afar will wear
> something red.
>
> By word of mouth, press, TV -- let's make the United States on every
> Friday a sea of red much like a homecoming football game in the
> bleachers. If every one of us who loves this country will share this
> with acquaintances, co-workers, friends, and family. It will not be long
> before the USA is covered in RED and it will let our troops know the
> once "silent" majority is on their side more than ever, certainly more
> than the media lets on.
>
> The first thing a soldier says when asked "What can we do to make
> things better for you?" is...We need your support and your prayers.
> Let's get the word out and lead with class and dignity, by example;
> and wear something red every Friday.
>
> IF YOU AGREE -- THEN SEND THIS ON!!
>
> IF YOU COULD CARE LESS THEN HIT THE DELETE BUTTON -- IT IS YOUR CHOICE.
>
> WE LIVE IN THE LAND OF THE FREE, ONLY BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE.
>
> THEIR BLOOD RUNS RED---- SO WEAR RED! --- MAY GOD HELP AMERICA TO
> BECOME
>
> ONE NATION, UNDER GOD.
>
>
> .
>
Yes it is heartbreaking that families are torn apart, especially for a war than should never have happened. Very said indeed.


Who grieves for dead Iraqis?

July 28, 2006

BY ANDREW GREELEY

What is the worth of a single Iraqi life?

The New York Times reported that during recent months a hundred Iraqis die violently every day, 3,000 every month. In terms of size of population, that is the equivalent of 300,000 Americans a month, 10,000 every day. Yet the typical television clip on the evening news -- an explosion, automatic weapon fire, dead bodies on the streets -- has become as much a cliche as the weather report or another loss by the Cubs. The dead Iraqis are of no more value to us than artificial humans in video games. The Iraqis seem less than human, pajama-wearing people with dark skin, hate in their eyes, and a weird religion, screaming in pain over their losses. Weep with them, weep for them?

Why bother?

Rarely do Americans tell themselves that the United States of America, the land of the free and the home of the brave, is responsible for this slaughter. In a spasm of arrogance and power, we destroyed their political and social structure and are now unable to protect them from one another. Their blood is on the hands of our leaders who launched a war on false premises, without adequate forces, without plans for the time after the war and then sent in inept administrators who could not provide even a hint of adequate public services.

As Colin Powell, who knows something about war, unlike the president and his top thinkers, told President Bush, "If you break it, you own it." If you shatter a society, it is yours, and you're responsible for it. The United States shattered Iraq and we are responsible for the ensuing chaos that we are unable to control. So a hundred human beings are killed every day, and the most powerful military in the world (as Messrs. Rumsfeld and Cheney insist) is unable to stop the killing.

On most of the standards for a just war, the invasion of Iraq was criminally unjust. Messrs. Wolfowitz, Cheney and Rumsfeld wanted to invade Iraq the day after the World Trade Center attack. They tried to persuade the people that Iraq was somehow involved in the attack. They insisted that the Iraqis possessed weapons of mass destruction. Their arguments for the war, we all know now, were not true.

There was, therefore, no just cause, no attempt to exhaust all possible alternatives short of war, no real hope for victory, no postwar plan, and no ability to prevent the postwar butchery that was easily predictable to those who understood Iraq. The war leaped from slogan to slogan -- weapons of mass destruction, the critical front in the global war on terror, stay the course, freedom and democracy in Iraq. All these slogans are false.

Were America's leaders deliberately lying? Did they really believe that the Shiites and the Sunnis would not murder one another, or did they know better? One must leave the state of their consciences to God. However, they should have known, and in the objective order, they are criminally responsible for the hundred deaths every day. They should be tried for their crimes, not that such trials are possible in our country.

The hundred who die every day are not merely numbers, they are real human beings. Their deaths are personal disasters for the dead person and also for all those who love them: parents, children, wives, husbands. Most Americans are not outraged. Iraqis are a little less than human. If a hundred people were dying every day in our neighborhoods, we would scream in outrage and horror. Not many of us are lamenting these daily tragedies. Quite the contrary, we wish the newscast would go on to the weather for the next weekend.

Is blood on the hands of those Americans who support the war? Again, one must leave them to heaven. But in the objective order it is difficult to see why they are not responsible for the mass murders. They permitted their leaders to deceive them about the war, often enthusiastically. How can they watch the continuing murders in Iraq and not feel guilty?

How would you feel if the street were drenched with the blood of your son or daughter, if your father was in the hospital with his legs blown off?

We cannot permit ourselves to grieve for Iraqi pain because then we would weep bitter and guilty tears every day.

One of the most influential Catholic thinkers and writers of our time, priest, sociologist, author and journalist Father Andrew M. Greeley has built an international assemblage of devout fans over a career that spans five decades. He is the author of over 50 best-selling novels and more than 100 works of non-fiction and his writing has been translated into 12 languages. A Professor of Sociology at the University of Arizona and a Research Associate with the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago, Father Greeley is a respected scholar whose current research focuses on the Sociology of Religion.