As a Soldier Is Buried, His Mother Asks Why (WP)

[diamond14]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A679-2004Apr9.html

As a Soldier Is Buried, His Mother Asks Why
Md. Man Relieved Buddy in Iraq

By Mary Otto
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, April 10, 2004; Page B01


CUMBERLAND, Md., April 9 -- As she emerged from the funeral home into the delicate spring morning, Jackie Leigh Weatherholt could only sob, "Why my son? Why my son?"

And then the flag-draped coffin of Army Pvt. Brandon Lee Davis, 20, killed in action in Iraq last week, was placed into a hearse by the white-gloved military honor guard.


Stella Davis's companion, Dennis Bobo, a veteran of World War II and the Korean War, pondered the progress of the war, which has cost more than 600 Americans' lives since the invasion, and he worried. He said it was beginning to remind him of Vietnam.

"I agreed with it for a while," he said, "but now I disagree."

The cortege passed through woods and gray hills, to Rocky Gap Veterans Cemetery. The wind blew hard, and the guns cracked their salute.

[burrowowl]

1. Why?

Because Bu$h lied and a majority of Americans swallowed it hook, line, sinker and fishing rod.

[saigon68]

11. A few of us never swallowed ANYTHING

Cheney and the extended CHIMPANZEE CRIME FAMILY are corporate criminals and thugs. They and their friends are making Billions of $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ and poor young men are dying.


We must dissuade them from joining the service, as the Neocons Plan is to turn them into killers and then when they are WASHED UP to throw them away,, where they will end up as HOMELESS Vets living in Card board boxes on the Streets of Amerika.

[burrowowl]

14. Amen!

Wish I had some videos of the reporting on VN to show zealous or broke young people who want to join our imperialistic army.
That we have an army for real defense, that is logical, but an offensive army is unAmerican!

[JohnOneillsMemory]

19. Another use for troops-crush dissent at home as in Tienamen Square.

[saigon68]

20. Blood will flow in the streets

Fascist Amerika

[Just Me]

21. The Bu$h cabal BETRAYED & ABUSED the loyalty and trust,...

,...of the American people. The American people would NOT have backed up this regime had they any clue what the hell was happening. I feel compelled to defend all those in this country who are basically caring, compassionate people who do care about justice. They would go through the very same steps of discovering betrayal and figuring out the truth as any other human being. They TRUSTED this leadership and are the victim of any criminal who abuses such trust.

[Fridays Child]

2. The name of each American who has died in this war should be listed...

...on the impeachment warrants for B*sh and Cheney.

[Paradise]

16. Good going Mary Pat! n/t

[Citizen Daryl]

3. Ask our king.

I hear he's out fishing.

[harrison]

4. Our soldiers made a bargain with America. We'll put our lives on

the line, but it has to be a cause worth dying for, and that is protecting America. Bush and his cabal have breached that bargain. And soldier's families are dealing with the consequences of that broken contract.

[Chicago Democrat]

5. This is the worst part of it... It why I distrust the army.

Serving your country is noble. But once you are in and then a bad guy takes over then you are stuck serving potentially a monster. Better to be free and independent.

[Prodemsouth]

23. All the checks and balances to prevent that from happening were

destroyed. A congress who could have stopped it cowed, into supporting it for fear it would make them look weak post 9-11. Very few brave people - Dean, Byrd were mocked. Bob Graham ignored. UN upstage by that poodle Blair who would not stop humping the monkey's leg. And then there is the...Media...the F..ING CORPORATE MEDIA!!!! Don't even get me started.

[JohnOneillsMemory]

10. Every White House breaches that bargain. Not just this one. It's a lie.

Read Noam Chomsky's 'Hegemony or Survival.' Or many other sources.

The US gov't has been PREVENTING DEMOCRACY for hundreds of years.

Despite the lies about 'defending our freedoms,' that is the hard and heartbreaking truth I wish our troops would understand before they sign up and ship off as hitmen for a gang of corporateers.

It seems that many veterans justify their participation in the military because
1) They are hard working
2) They are self-sacrificing
3) They bond with and support their fellow troops against everything.
4) They are principled and disciplined.
5) They've been told the US Gov't has a history of being the white knight saving the world.

BUT:
I think our troops transfer their own virtues to the government despite all the evidence that hundreds of years of US government policies are a combination of South Africa's apartheid and Nazi Germany's holocaust.

We do the same thing with our parents. We need to believe that they are good and virtuous because we identify with them so closely.

Thus we defend them as we would defend ourselves, deservedly or not.
And it is almost impossible to breakout of that pattern of thinking.

Especially when your own life is in their hands.

[Just Me]

22. "Democracy" has been merely a "word", never a reality,...

,...and we fell asleep believing the dream was real.

Waking from that dream into a nightmare is shocking. I know. I did it and I wonder whether I will ever be able to adjust to such a reality. Frankly, I know I refuse to adjust to it,...because I know we can do better than this!!!

Meanwhile, I am compelled to "softly" and "compassionately" deliver REALITY to others,...one step and one day at a time.

[daleo]

6. This is the nub of the problem for anti-war people

"Stella Davis's companion, Dennis Bobo, a veteran of World War II and the Korean War, pondered the progress of the war, which has cost more than 600 Americans' lives since the invasion, and he worried. He said it was beginning to remind him of Vietnam."

"I agreed with it for a while," he said, "but now I disagree."

Unfortunately, this gentleman did not disagree with the war until the body count of U.S. lives started to mount. Before this occurs, too many people will go along with any foreign adventure that the president comes up with, regardless of international law or how many innocents die. It's not possible to get through to some people until soldiers begin to die in significant numbers, which makes anti-war people seem like they are 'cheering' for soldiers to die. That's not the case, they are 'cheering' for the war to end, sparing lives all around.

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

7. "Masters of War" by Bob Dylan

Come you masters of war
You that build all the guns
You that build the death planes
You that build the big bombs
You that hide behind walls
You that hide behind desks
I just want you to know
I can see through your masks

You that never done nothin'
But build to destroy
You play with my world
Like it's your little toy
You put a gun in my hand
And you hide from my eyes
And you turn and run farther
When the fast bullets fly

Like Judas of old
You lie and deceive
A world war can be won
You want me to believe
But I see through your eyes
And I see through your brain
Like I see through the water
That runs down my drain

You fasten the triggers
For the others to fire
Then you set back and watch
When the death count gets higher
You hide in your mansion
As young people's blood
Flows out of their bodies
And is buried in the mud

You've thrown the worst fear
That can ever be hurled
Fear to bring children
Into the world
For threatening my baby
Unborn and unnamed
You ain't worth the blood
That runs in your veins

How much do I know
To talk out of turn
You might say that I'm young
You might say I'm unlearned
But there's one thing I know
Though I'm younger than you
Even Jesus would never
Forgive what you do

Let me ask you one question
Is your money that good
Will it buy you forgiveness
Do you think that it could
I think you will find
When your death takes its toll
All the money you made
Will never buy back your soul

And I hope that you die
And your death'll come soon
I will follow your casket
In the pale afternoon
And I'll watch while you're lowered
Down to your deathbed
And I'll stand o'er your grave
'Til I'm sure that you're dead



Copyright © 1963; renewed 1991 Special Rider Music

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

8. Take that, asses of evil

[daleo]

13. "Idiot Wind" from Blood on the Tracks works well too

Whenever I think of the current state of affairs, I think of that one too.

[Barkley]

9. I hope Ms. Weatherholt becomes active and like our Mari333

These familiy testimonies are powerful and can help
keep other young men and women from being recruited into Iraq.

We've gotta BRING THE TROOPS HOME NOW and
Not send any more new ones over their.

Our young people won't know unless we educate them.

My prayers are with the military families of Iraq as
well as the people of Iraq that have suffered so much
devistation.

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

12. I second that, Barkley.

I am so angered and saddened at the same time at this senseless war.

[goddess40]

15. how unpatriotic of her to ask that!

She of course has every right to ask that and to demand an answer, I'm afraid she won't like the answer, because he died for lies but she has the right to hear it.
How horribly sad for all the families that are going through this pain.

[saigon68]

17. Anyone over 45 has seen this

Apprently not enough of them learned anything from it.

I shut the ass holes up when I ask them-----

Why did (Joe or Harry or Johnny) die in Viet-Nam??

They never can answer this question

[Obamarama]

18. NPR did a very moving segment on Pvt. Davis the other day...

Went to the military to get ahead in life and got sucked into this needless war and gave his life for nothing.

Here's a link to the segment:
http://www.npr.org/features/feature.php?wfId=1828949