Interesting conversation I had with grandparents of a US soldier in Iraq

[mtnsnake]

A while back, I had an interesting conversation with some grandparents of an American soldier serving in Iraq. At first I wasn't sure if this was important, but the more I thought about it, the more I thought I should share it.

At the time, I was in a small village in upstate NY on business and needed to stop and get directions to a place I was having trouble finding. I pulled into someone's driveway to ask, and when I went into their garage to knock on their door, I noticed a Kerry/Edwards sign leaning against the wall. Anyway, an elderly lady came to the door and told me to step in. Her husband was also inside. I proceeded to get directions from them, and then mentioned I was glad to see they had a Kerry sign in their garage. That got us into a casual conversation about the Iraq war, in which they let me know that their grandson is currently serving. They told me how against the war they were and how corrupt Bush is, and they also wished that their grandson hadn't gone over there to fight.

I didn't know if this was the proper thing to ask them, but I then asked them how their grandson felt about his Commander in Chief. It was only because I knew they were Democrats that I even asked them this. Almost in unison, they replied how their grandson thought Bush was a miserable leader and a draft dodger. Since they were so outspoken about it, I then asked them my next question. I asked them if they thought their grandson's opinion of Bush was in the vast minority of soldiers serving in Iraq or if there were other soldiers who shared the same sentiments about Bush. They not only said there were others who thought this way, but MANY of them who were anti-Bush and his policies and many of them who were pro-Kerry during the elections. I let them know I was pleasantly surprised to hear this, but I asked them (tactfully) how they happened to know that this was the case. They said their grandson communicated this to them in previous letters written during his stay in Iraq, saying that many of the soldiers talked in private about their dissatisfaction with Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld. Apparently, there is much dissatisfaction toward BushCo among many of the soldiers in Iraq, but as soldiers they're smart enough to keep it private and away from their commanders for obvious reasons, and not let it interfere with their duties in any way, shape, or form. They let me know that more soldiers are displeased with Bush than what the media will ever let on to. As I left, I thanked them for their directions and conversation and wished them a safe return for their grandson.

Anyway, it's refreshing to know that our soldiers in Iraq don't necessarily drink the Kool-Aid of the Bush administration while bravely serving over there under such trying conditions and with the inadequate equipment supplied to them by the chicken hawks.

[blm]

1. A couple weeks before election day the media heavily pushed a bogus poll

about the military strongly supporting Bush.

Funny that there was never any report about the military vote AFTER the election. If they HAD voted heavily for Bush we would have read about it in 4" headlines in every corporate news outlet. We wouldn't be able to avoid it if we tried.

[wakeme2008]

2. except for the higher ups

they are the ones driving in the unarmored hummers with the Kevlar vests that are bad or not there at all. They see the rented "help" with the best of all equipment and making the big bucks.

[purduejake]

3. I am amazed just how many people are becoming anti-bush...

My parents live in a rural area that I know tends to be very conservative, but lately I have seen many home-made signs along the country roads such as "$5 gas = Bush", "Bring our boys home," and "Bush send your daughters to Iraq!!" This is quite significant and convinces me he will be toast when the shit really hits the fan with a draft, another attack against us, etc.

[never_get_over_it]

4. Maybe we need a military take over

couldn't be worse than this shit.....you know reverse the Extreme Courts 2000 Coup D'etat

[watercolors]

5. We also have grandson in Iraq

He does not have much good to say either. This is his second tour, due home next month. He still cannot believe that on his first tour they shipped him out with ONE bullet and little traing, he was 19 and scared, only been in 13 weeks! He feels his government lied to him in many ways to get him to join the AF, he had to sign up for 6 yrs and they gave him all kinds of promises of schooling. He wanted to know if he could sue for false claims!

[mtnsnake]

6. Thanks for sharing that with us, watercolors.

We'll all breathe a collective sigh of relief when your grandson returns safely next month. Wish him a DU Best of Luck!

[peacetalksforall]

7. Thanks for posting. About the voting. In 2000 the right wing smirked

when predicting the results of the military that they kept saying was still coming in. And they had a hissy fit about some late votes.

Does anyone know if there were any fishy-smelly manipulations during 2004? I expected to much more than I did about the military vote.

Back to the grandparents and the soldiers - it's so nice to know that there are thinking people who are brave enough to admit what is going on. Truth and facts can conquer phoney, blind patriotism.

Does truth really set you free?
Does truth really lead to peace?

I think so. I hope so.

[pretzel4gore]

8. unlike the services, there no question about the media's

integrity and wisdom: they haven't any! the goddam pigmedia seems to work back from a least desireable result basis in order to constantly always be wrong about what they're trying to get people to think, and regardless of what the implications might be for the future....the thing is, you can SEE the pigmedia choosing to promote certain ideas every day, almost as if they're sociopathic freaks. bush history can explain. BUT the violent disregard of truth by the corporate newsmedia over such length of time and covering such variety of subject (the pigmedia even downplay the weather reports that suggest a nationwide heat wave is occuring) says society really is sick, and finding out why is a matter of life or death for human race....