My student was killed in Iraq last week

[adigal]

(Cross-posted at Daily Kos)

My students was killed in Iraq last week. I had him in 2001, as a 9th grader. He was a really nice young man. I had not been in touch with him since his graduation, but I thought about him once in a while, when I looked through the Yearbook, or when I spoke about that group with other teachers.

He was 22 years old. He had a daughter and a wife. His father said his son felt that he went there for the right reason. Whether or not it was the one he was told, he felt he would find the right reason.

Now he is dead. I hope, for his sake, he found the reason he was there so he can rest in peace.

Our soldiers are mostly noble young men and women. Our military leaders, I have to believe, are mostly noble men and women who care about their troops. For evidence of this, I look at the expressions and grimaces of General Casey, as he spewed forth what I saw as lies on the Sunday talk shows this past weekend. For evidence that we have noble men and women I look at Jack Murtha, as he says with perfect clarity that the Generals have been telling him this war is a disaster and that our young people, our future, are caught up in this disaster. For evidence, I look at Chuck Hagel, as he said this weekend that Iraq has been in a Civil War for 6 months, and that the Generals have been telling him this for that long.

I think the military knows that they have been misused, that the nobility of their soldiers has been taken advantage of by a band of imcompetent opportunists. But their hands are tied, so they have had to do the only thing they could do: confide in trusted Congress men and women, who are then excoriated by the right wing noise machine. The message is getting out, but sand is still being thrown in the eyes of Americans by Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld.

I feel that I did not do enough. I feel that I did not march against the war, that I was taken in as well by Condi Rice's "mushroom cloud over one of our cities." I feel that if I had not been so blinded by my hatred of those who were responsible for 9/11, I would have seen the lies clearly, all of us would have, and 50 million of us would have marched against the war, turning the tide of public opinion.

My student cannot come back. I cannot undo my mistakes. I certainly cannot undo the mistakes of those in charge of our foreign policy. But what I can do is to continue to speak out, not give in to the despair that this administration causes me to feel at times. I will be strong and I will speak out even more against the lies, and the manipulations and the continued useless loss of life.

That is all I can do right now. May this soldier, and all of the rest of those lost, rest in peace.

[babylonsister]

1. This huge mess created by this admin on lies is not worth

one dead soldier or Iraqi. I'm so sorry.

[Vidar]

2. Very sorry

[adigal]

3. No, I am sorry that I bought the lies

But no more.

[acmejack]

4. Amen, my Sister, Amen!

Your words are more eloquent than any I can hope to cobble together so I will simply express my heartfelt agreement with them and wish the young man eternal peace. May his family find solace and grace, wherever it is they go to seek such things.

[catmandu57]

5. I'm sorry to hear this

We live about half a block away from our middle school, i've watched the kids as they progress through the grades and I wonder how many of them will meet the same fate as your student.
If it makes you feel any better, there was nothing anyone could do to stop this madman, he knew that we were going to war with Iraq in 2000 when they stole the election.
I think many of the * voters knew it too, I could feel it here, kind of a wink wink deal.
Well now we've had a tastes of war and most people are finding it doesn't taste as sweet as they thought.
I hope that no more of your kids meet this fate, nor any that I see here.

[adigal]

7. War does taste acrid, doesn't it??

My student was in 9th grade when I had him - now, he leaves a child with no father.

So damn sad.

[MichiganVote]

28. All grief is acrid adi, ....so sorry for your sadness

[johnnie]

6. That is so sad

I'm sorry to hear this. We need these kids back home now. The sad part about it is that the pro war people have no concern for these lives that are being lost. They might say they do, but I bet they skim right over these stories in the newspapers.

[gratuitous]

8. 22

Twenty-two years old. 22. From the far country of 47 years of age, 22 seems impossibly young. I'll take your word for it that your former student was a noble man. At 22, I don't know how "noble" I was, but I do know that I was very young, very inexperienced. I was susceptible to authoritive voices who told me wrong things. I had, and still have, ideals and hopes and dreams. But at 22, I didn't have the wisdom to know how little I knew.

What put this young man in a military uniform? I don't know. What promises or threats were made? What influenced his decision to join the military? I don't know that, either. 22 years old. Jesus. Leaves behind a widow and a fatherless little girl. What new course will their lives take? And now he's gone forever. For what? An extra billion or two on Exxon's bottom line this quarter? Another private jet trip for some corrupt politician? I'll keep looking, but I don't see much here that's noble.

I, too, promise not to give in to despair, and I will continue to speak out. And woe betide these bloodthirsty, greedy motherfuckers who engineered this situation.

[adigal]

9. He did question - once he was there

but he was believing that some purpose would be made obvious to him.

I don't know that he ever found his purpose, but I am with you. Money, oil, greed. That is all you need to know.

What has happened to us??

[lauren_victoria]

10. I watched a segment of another soldier

who died at 22, the other day. And reading your post puts other things in perspective for me. My older brother is 22. And I just can't imagine anyone his age going off and fighting a war of lies. But it's happening every day. Many boys my age, 17 and 18, don't know what they could be getting into. I've asked them how they would feel about fighting in this war, most of them said they wouldn't mind, because it would be for the good of the president (I live in a very conservative town) and the good of the country.
It's just horrific, to me.

[newyawker99]

25. Hi lauren_victoria!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Lydia Leftcoast]

11. One day when I was in my second year of college teaching, a student

brought cookies to class in celebration of his nineteenth birthday. It was 1983 or so.

That's when it hit me--the memory that the average age of the soldiers in Vietnam was nineteen. I was in my early thirties at that time, so I could see exactly how young nineteen is.

The fallen in Vietnam had died before ever really having a chance to live.

And the dead in Iraq are mostly college student age. They're the ones who couldn't afford to go to college andcouldn't find a job.

Why do we keep doing this? :cry:

[Strathos]

12. That's horrible, but he joined willingly

AND we must honor his decisions. He knew that joining the armed forces was putting his life on the line.

I support the troops, I despise the pResident.

[MelissaB]

13. He may have joined willingly, but have you ever listed to what

these kids are told when they are recruited in high school? I have...
I teach and happened to be in the guidance office one day when the recruiters were there.

[bunkerbuster1]

16. And if you have a problem with recruiters in your school...

Well, obviously you "hate America."

(yes, I've had a freeper tell me this. He's on the same page as Bill O'Reilly in thinking San Francisco shouldn't be defended from a terrorist attack on account of this.)

[Kolesar]

14. At least he got a nice tribute in the world of electrons and servers

It was thoughtful and gave me another frame and another view of life

[specimenfred1984]

15. He Signed up Knowing What a Fraud This Fake War Is?

and what a fraud this administration is?

Please explain why a person would willingly die for extremely well known lies.

[ScreamingMeemie]

17. For the reasons many of us cried over watching the recruiters on F/9-11

go to work. Many of them are led to believe there are no other options. Go see Lila Lipscomb speak once, and you won't ask this question anymore.

[specimenfred1984]

19. Those Many You Speak Of Are An Insult To America

They are Nazi-like followers who would rather kill people than listen and/or learn.

That's their choice. Learn that and you won't blindly accept torturers, civilian killers and racist war mongers as neighbors anymore.

[ScreamingMeemie]

20. Sorry. I won't ever use the broad brush you are determined to wield.

Fancy words for flawed thinking. You can't have it both ways. I'll cry and rally against the administration that puts them in harm's way by preying on their lot in life. You insult Lila and mothers like her.

[MichiganVote]

29. That's a full of shit statement if there ever was one

[TheBaldyMan]

23. people serve for many different reasons

Some signed up after 9/11 thinking that they could make a difference and would be proud to serve their nation. A lot of these inductees are coming to the end of their term older and much wiser having been repeatedly stop-lossed.

Some sign up because they don't have economic choice, if they want to go to school or get decent healthcare they won't get it any other way because the poverty of their circumstances. The burden of this war weighs heaviest on the poorest sections of society.

Some sign up because they have been fed a monoculture of tripe by the media, the RW spin-meisters. Ignorance is unavoidable in some cases, having neither the inclination or opportunity for enlightenment. Don't condemn them, feel pity for them and their families.

The reason most carry on serving isn't because of some blind faith in their glorious leader, they fight for their friends, the team-mates within their unit. Imagine what it would feel like if you left your unit and left people that you had been very close to and would still be serving in Iraq.

Try and have some sympathy for them, it's not easy for them to serve in those circumstances and it's not easy for them to leave.

[MichiganVote]

27. Hey look, we don't need this shit on this thread. When you're a

grown up, and have the capacity to sit in a 22 year old's shoes, maybe, just maybe, someone will listen to you. For now, we're all going to assume that you've made some really crappy choices for the best possible reasons in your life too. Somehow, they didn't take your life and for that, your family or those who love you, are grateful. Be satisfied with that much today and THINK about what you are really stating in your post.

[Ikonoklast]

18. My second oldest son is 22

He is one of the reasons I grieve for the fallen on all sides.

I could not even start to imagine the pain and sorrow that this senseless slaughter has brought to the families and loved ones of the dead and maimed.

May God have mercy on the souls of those murdered by greed and avarice for power of our government.

[DUHandle]

21. I was at a funeral two weeks ago.

The son of coworker, the man served two hitches as a Ranger in Iraq, was honorable discharged and got a job as a cop.

Death was from suicide. He had a very hard time living with himself.

There were Honor Guards from the Army and the Local P.D. there.

His Mom was in sitting in a chair in a stupor during the funeral, I’ll guess a mix of grief and tranquilizers.

I know how close to home this is for you.



Please accept my regrets.

[newyawker99]

26. Hi DUHandle!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Javaman]

22. This poses and interesting concept...

It's truly sad and horrible for a parent to lose a child, doubly sad if they die in a war, but oddly, teachers who are kind of like parents to some or at the least mentors to many, are a quiet group that has to watch this war unfold and watch the toll it takes upon their former students.

Many of my teachers I had when I was growing up, have had such a profound effects upon my life. Many are long gone now but yet their memory lives on in me.

How it must be for some teachers to see the children they taught, grow into adults, fight a war, then die.

War is expensive, peace is priceless.

[democrank]

24. Another sad, sad story.

Rest in peace.

[Nikki Stone 1]

30. I am sorry. I wonder about some of my old students who were recruited

What a heartbreaker.

[adigal]

31. I pray they are okay

and safe at home.

[Nikki Stone 1]

32. Me, too.

They are often too young to understand what is happening.

[Bigmack]

33. I lost two...

I came back from Vietnam in 1966, finished college, got a teaching job, and lost two students to the war before it ended.

I started teaching in a rural, deprived area. I kept track of a few of the kids when I moved on, and those kids told me when it happened.

Adigal... I feel how much it hurts you. What a waste... a kid is born, gets a lot of love from his parents, and a lot of effort from his teachers. All thrown away for NOTHING!

[Dinger]

34. As A Teacher, and As A Human Being, I Offer My Condolences And Support

I teach third graders. I have three who either have a loved one in Iraq or recently had someone come back.
If you check my classroom website and go to "classroom pictures," you can see a picture of a happy boy who just had his auntie come back. I love my little darlin's, and the thought of losing one of them makes me ill, but the idea of losing one in this W-ar, well, I just can't even go there.

http://www.bowlerschool.net/3rdGrade/muellersite/index.htm

[Swamp Rat]

35. .

:hug:

[RazzleDazzle]

36. If it's any consolation...

and I hope it is, tho my fear is that it will be small consolation...

I and millions of others around the world worked very, very hard to prevent this war. We weren't successful, and if you'd been with us, we'd still not have been successful.

You're where you are NOW, and that's what counts.

You didn't fail your student -- on the contrary, you're here now to testify on his behalf. You couldn't have prevented his death; but you can help make it matter more.