I gotta talk about this Iraqi Vet that came into our YD meeting last night

[noahmijo]

This guy attended our Young Democrats meeting last night, and boy was he on fire. You could see the rage of a guy who had to go off and dodge bullets so that some greedy old men's stock could rise a little bit.

Anyways this guy was in a way sort of ragging on us because he felt that we weren't being harsh enough to the other side.

He talked about how he approaches Republicans wherever they may be, even if they are getting into their Dubya sticker marked SUV, and he asks them why they support Bush and why they think he's so tough on terror and you can imagine what he unloads on them.

I being the only DU'er in that whole meeting (which means like the rest of you I'm a harsh debator who pulls no punches) approached him later and told him that I respect his service and respect what he has to say, but he should not fret, that there are many of us, over 50,000 strong at DU that out there putting out the message that people who have fallen into the cradle of nationalism can understand. I also informed him of how polls on the internet work and of course how you cannot trust them, and I told him that I and so many others DO get in the faces of these people and DO do our research and know just what to say to undecideds.

In fact that day alone two undecideds approached our YD tent, and after I was done with them, they left carrying Kerry stickers.

I made him feel a little better I think, but man this guy is pissed I mean seriously PISSED he was telling a group of us how if he were an Iraqi who had to wake up every morning to some outsider standing outside his home, earlier which these outsiders accidently shot or blew up his daughter or wife, he would be Al-Queda right now.

This is coming from a white, patriotic blooded American soldier. A guy whom from appearance I wouldn't screw with unless I was wearing hocky goalie gear, and I'm over 190 lbs and a weightlifter.

I really pity any Republicans that try to call this guy a pussy.

He plans on actually going down to the Young Republicans and debating them loudly right at their tent, he HATES how they bring up Clinton when (according to him) Clinton was trying to kill Bin Laden, but the fucking Republicans were too busy trying to stab him over the Lewinsky scandal.

Honestly I don't like the idea of egging this guy on to get into confrontations with anybody, because the way he was worked up at least last night, I really don't wanna hear how he ripped the arms off some golf shirt wearing Young Repuke. That will do nobody any good.

However It is fantastic to have a guy like this on our side we need more of them, more Iraqi vets need to come out, People like this guy are their own talking point Who in the right mind would tell a vet to his face that he outta just shut up and be proud that he did what Dick Cheney told him to do?

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. They are coming back from the war

and are doign the same thing that Kerry did when he came back from
Nam


If he runs in future years for any political office the Pukes will question his patriotism

by the way, you have no idea how my hubby (vet) feels about them pukes and their yellow coards backs

[fudge stripe cookays]

2. Thanks noah!

Great story.

Any chance we could this guy into coming to Texas and throwing some weight around?

Glad you got to encounter someone like this. Repukes need to know that we're patriotic instead of nationalistic. this guy's message needs to get out there.

FSC

[rocktivity]

3. Did you specifically discuss AWOL with him?

Did you get an e-mail address out of him, at least? It would be nice to able to link him to some information on Clinton and terrorism, for instance.

:headbang:
rocknation

[noahmijo]

4. Yea he did actually he is actually very well informed

when it comes to war and terror, he's a reader, all I got out of him was his name and I'm sure I'll see him again and I'll be ready to take his info, when I was talking to him there was a small crowd, he had celebrity status amongst us there, but from the 10 minutes that I spent talking to him it seems to me like he's got the facts concerning every aspect of the Iraq and the war on terra.

Could you link me with that info? I'M the one who needs to be more informed I think when it comes to Clinton and terrorsim.

I got a family who still thinks that Clinton was weak on terror and sold the North Koreans nukes. :eyes:

[Tsiyu]

5. Good for this guy

Makes you understand why Bush* doesn't want them to come home before the election. I am as angry as that VET is. My rage against Republicans grows every day. Their claims of "supporting the troops" are empty. The only thing they support is blind allegiance to their Fearless Leader. Hope this Vet kicks butt...
:kick:

[cally]

6. You need to try to talk him down and

have him focus on what we can do. Register voters, write letters, make phone calls, and GOTV. I can understand his rage, but he will be harmed if he takes it out on someone. Let him know what he can do and how important it is. I've heard from a few veterans with similar views. It helps them to figure out a way to be involved without violence.

[noahmijo]

7. I've done that and this other girl actually

who was there is offering to take the guy with her to help register voters near the Social Security Office where you can guess what the talking points will be. He accepted the offer actually, he is enraged, but it seems like he does want to focus it in the best direction, but yea whenever I see this guy I will be sure to hang out with him and stuff and keep his spirits up :)

[cally]

9. Thanks

When I hear these stories and sense the outrage, it breaks my heart. We have to win but we also have to direct the outrage to something productive.

[vetwife]

18. He is full of rage and he needs to

talk to a good doc at the VA if he can and start talking of that rage or direct it in a good way as he WILL have problems later on..That is why they call it POST traumatic ....HE really needs to do this. Otherwise, he is gonna get madder, and madder and then he could turn to drugs, alcohol, withdrawing, uncontrollable rage, start having flashback, etc. The majority of vets who were in combat do have PTSD..Documented ! I know a little something about this.

Its a great story and you did great...but if you see him again,remember that anger is volatile.

[Kimber Scott]

8. This is why they're not letting people get out of the service when

their enlistments are up. They don't want them wandering around talking to people before the election!

Not really. I'm glad you posted this story. My son and daughter-in-law are in the AF. My son was pretty pro-Bush when he got sent to Afghanistan. By the time he came home, he'd changed his mind a bit. When they sent his wife to Iraq and after he started talking to all the people coming back from Iraq, he now says he doesn't think Bush is evil, but that he doesn't know what he's doing. He won't be voting for him. My daughter-in-law has always been against Bush. But, for them and for this guy at your YD meeting there are more on the other side for Bush. The military is split, just like the country. However, I have a feeling the officer corps is more pro-Bush than the enlisted. Same old song, management vs. labor.

[Coventina]

10. Hey! Are you a YD at ASU?

If so, I've wandered by your booth several times, but I'm very shy.

I got one of your "Proud to be an Arizona Dem" stickers, though!

[noahmijo]

11. I'm at the University of Arizona actually :)

Your "friendly" neighbors to the south ;) :hi:

[Coventina]

12. Hi! Well, it sounds like you're doing great work!

Thanks for sharing the story.

I'm not into the silly rivalry between the schools, but if I was, I'd be on your side anyway. I'm stuck with going to ASU by necessity, not choice.
:hi:

[noahmijo]

13. Yea I'm not really into the rivalry either

Especially at times like this. I'm a Yankee fan, and this year even I'm not even caring about what happens with them or with the Red Sox, the only competition I care about this year is this presidential race.

I imagine at ASU the Young Democrats are out there trying to make it happen, in my opinion that is what is key for Arizona victory. In Phoenix make sure that Bush doesn't win by much (Maricopa is mostly Republican) but by not giving Bush a clear victory, it enables us over here in Democratic Pima County to make up the difference and presto, Arizona is blue!

[Coventina]

14. At ASU there has been encouraging signs

There has been a big drive to register people to vote.
The YD booth has been up every day (that I've been there) since the beginning of the semester.
Haven't seen a YR booth! :-)
On Wednesday, there was even a little "demonstration". Some guys dressed up as Abu Graib victims and were tied to a guy vaugely resembling W. They were passing out literature about the torture scandal. Amazingly, they were not being harrassed or anything!
I was surprised, because this is a very conservative campus, all things considered. I took their literature and gave them the thumbs up. (As I said, I'm pretty shy in person).

[Tsiyu]

15. kick

:kick:

[GoldenOldie]

16. Good to know that YD's are in my neighborhood

I was so thrilled to see so many young people at the rally for Edwards. Jeff Lawrence the young marine from Tucson that was returned home to his wife, newborn baby and parents this summer broke our hearts. He had been a favorite student of my daughter during his highschool years and he maintained contact with her as he did with so many of his teachers and friends. This young man truly believed in the Marines and it had been his goal in life to become a member. George W. Bush made a mockery of this young man's dreams and of his life.

We are seniors my spouse and I. We have gone through WWII, Korea and Vietnam, but we fear this administration more than we feared our past history. Hang in there YD's we stand beside you and we salute you.

[Jokinomx]

17. Interesting Story.... Thanks for Sharing it...

Just know that your doing your part ... It is great that you are doing what you can to help educate others. :toast: Keep up the great work !!

:kick:

[Tsiyu]

19. KICK

:kick:

[skygazer]

20. Powerful story

How could anyone deny this guy his right to anger? How could anyone have the balls to tell him he's wrong? It kills me what chickenhawks like Bush do to our military - never, ever, ever should our guys be sent in somewhere unless we absolutely have to send them in. The psychological damage done to these guys, even in a "just" war, is too much to inflict simply for vanity or because you want to be a "war president" or for oil.

I wish him the best and thanks for your work with the YD's!

edit - I worded that badly. I didn't mean that I feel Iraq is a just war - I most definitely don't. I meant that even in a war that is considered just, soldiers endure horrible psychological damage. It should never be inflicted on them without great need.

[jonnyblitz]

21. I think many hardcore anti-war vets think Kerry's position

on Iraq is too weak even though they will support him over Bush.