My son's Marine recruiting officer just dropped by!

[Longhorn]

He's really a nice guy who thinks of our son as a younger brother. We hadn't seen him in awhile and he was passing through so we invited him over with his girlfriend.

I told SSGT H that I was thinking of him last night because we went to see Farenheit 9/11 and there were some Marine recruiters featured. He said, "Oh, I'm sure if they were in that movie, they weren't shown in a very positive light." I told him I thought he would be surprised. I told him I believed that Michael Moore depicted the military as made up of brave, dedicated young men and women whom he does not blame for their deeds but that he blames the people who sent them on these missions instead. Indeed, even when he shows the prisoners being humiliated or the soldiers talking about playing music to get in a killing mood, he says something to the effect that dishonorable motives lead to dishonorable actions, making it clear that the leaders are to blame.

Anyway, I told SSGT H that he should see the movie for himself and make up his own mind about it. SSGT H is not a Bush supporter and he has told me in the past that there are plenty in the Marines who are anti-Bush. My son, who is stationed at 29 Palms, plans to see F9/11 in Corona, CA next weekend.

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. Welcome to DU :^) Nice to hear about military folk who aren't for *.

[Longhorn]

2. Not by a long shot! Never have been, never will be!

And neither is my son!

Thanks for the welcome! :D

[stanwyck]

3. Liberal parents of a Marine

who is also a proud liberal. Currently in Iraq. Wishing the best for you and your son.

[Longhorn]

4. You, too, stanwyck!

Thank you for your son or daughter's service!

[Andy_Stephenson]

9. Ummmmmm

Gig em Aggies.

[Longhorn]

10. There's always next year!

;)

[Andy_Stephenson]

13. I thought that would get a rise out of you...

Actually I am a Texas Ex myself. In more ways than one. Live in Seattle now.

[BeFree]

5. Met a Marine today

A lady ex-Marine. Asked her: "What do ya think about Iraq?"

She said: "It makes me mad"

Wow! Pressing on, I asked:"Don't ya think we should be over there?"

"They've been fighting each other forever. We stuck our nose in their fight"

Now that was one smart Marine!

[Mari333]

6. waving to the folks with kids in Iraq from another parent with a kid there

Everyday I meet more and more parents and family members and people who know kids in Iraq..
what that means is that its hitting US small towns like a thunderbolt..this really is Vietnam on Speed..
The small towns are turning against Bush..I see it here where I live..a few months ago I was an anti war activist with a kid in Iraq and people were running me off the road..now Im getting thumbs up

The tide is turning.................

http://www.bringthemhomenow.com

[Longhorn]

7. I think some folks were asking about you in discussions today.

Wondering how you and your son (or daughter?) are doing. It's nice to meet you and thank you for your child's service to our country!

[Mari333]

18. We are as well as can be expected

Michael emailed and told us, again, not to worry. (Fat chance)..but he said he is safe at Abu Ghraib, right now, I think they have all the military behind concrete bunkers who arent in heavy fighting arenas,,Bush regime is probably trying to keep the casualty numbers down to save his sorry ass..(IT WONT WORK!)
Remember, the grunts on the ground call Bush and Rumsfield "p*ssies and wimps" and they hate them.
Michael wants to come home, they all do. They know Bush is a bastard and doesnt give a flying f*ck how the troops are.
(((hugs))) to you and yours.

[Longhorn]

22. Glad to hear that he's safe and in touch!

Your signature says it all! ((HUGS)) to you, too!

[Sugarbleus]

23. Mari, glad to hear from you again...

So, Michael wants to come home. Does he have any idea when that will be? What does he hear from his point--I mean is there ANY movement or noteworthy things happening that we can be hopeful about?

What a FUBAR mess everything is now. I can't stand it--it has to be hell for you.

I can't get over the temerityof this bobble-head, f*ckwit prez to send, willy nilly, all our loved ones to fight in this ill conceived and illegal war, then ride off into the sunset on a golf cart to play with his balls!! It just galls me to no end.

I knew the country--the world had changed on 9-11. I felt it, but I wasn't really fightened. Not until recently....I see how this shit in Iraq has caused a huge vacuum, has destablized the region, has the world ready to nuke us or whatever and then there's the ultra cons domestic agenda that is just unconscionable........Now, I'm worried.

I don't know about you or anyone else, but I DON'T FEEL SAFE anymore. Everyday it's some new law, another right taken away, another bomb goes off someplace, violent protests all over the world.

It will be no mean feat for Kerry to try to untangle this mess. I hope he knows what he's doing and has some sharp people around him to help.

From one day to the next, as the horrors just keep rolling in, I occassionally take time off to just sit quietly in my garden, dig my hands into the earth just to be still and remember how things were before Bush. It helps relieve the stress and gives me balance.

Take good care Mari and tell your son we love him and think of him often. ~~~~~~~Peace in our time~~~~~~~

[Mari333]

24. He wrote the other day

and told us he didnt win the lottery they hold every month to come home for 2 weeks..the lottery is pulling names out of a hat for leave time...he wont be home til January next year or February..unless his name gets pulled out of a hat...gads..
They all want to come home.
He also hasnt been getting as many packages, because when Bush announced he was going to tear down Abu Ghraib, in his lame speech, Michaels unit thought they were leaving.
So I posted on here to stop sending packages..now he is staying, and he isnt getting as many packages...which sucks..so we have to start it up again, my husband and I, because he needs the stuff from home to make him sane thru this..
So its been a roller coaster ride..what pisses me off, is that when Bush made that announcement, he didnt even THINK about what the families went thru or the fact we had no idea whether to send packages or not, which f*cks the soldiers and the families once again.

[UrbScotty]

8. Our Armed Forces are (for the most part) fine, dedicated young people.

I salute them and thank them for their service!

[Zomby Woof]

11. Welcome to DU!

:toast: Glad to have you here.

[Longhorn]

12. Thanks!

Funny thing is, I used to be a moderator on a Marine parents board that was supposed to be nonpolitical. Turns out, comments supporting the resident and the war are "patriotic;" comments in opposition are "political." So I replaced one addiction with another and I LOVE DU! :D

[Andy_Stephenson]

14. I love DU too....

DU gave me the courage to run for office and fight BBV.


EDIT: BTW you still in Texas?

[Longhorn]

15. Yes, just outside of Austin.

I've lived in Texas since '71 and in Austin since '73.

Did you win?

[Andy_Stephenson]

16. Hey...I am from Killeen area....

will be in the area soon...

As for the run for office...I just left the campaign. I am now the Associate Director of Black Box Voting...you can read more here

www.andystephenson.com

[Trajan]

19. Andy is a critical cog in the wheel of voting justice ....

He and Bev Harris, the primary investigator of the Black Box Voting scandals, have established a new non-profit organization to scrutinize the Electronic Voting Machine industry and its relationship to GOP politicos ...

Diebold has found their money and influence cannot protect them from the sunshine of investigation ...

Let the sunshine in, Andy .... and thanks ....

[Andy_Stephenson]

21. Gosh...a "critical cog"?

I just feel like a guy doing a job that is needed. Thanks for the kind words Trajan.

:loveya:

[AP]

17. I hope you're not giving enough info about SSGT H that he could be ID'd.

[Longhorn]

20. Good point but it should be okay.

My son wasn't recruited from around here as he was living in another town. Thanks for caring, though!