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WILL THEY EVER TRUST US AGAIN? -- LETTERS FROM THE WAR ZONE |
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(from family and friends of troops) "MY HEART IS HEAVY" FROM: Robin Vaughan I am wondering if this is the last Christmas I will spend with my son. My son is leaving on deployment to Iraq. My heart is heavy, and I am frightened. I can remember my infant son in my arms the day he was born, and I recall how I promised to take care of him and keep him out of harm's way; good luck was with me for twenty-two years. Naturally he had his share of stitches as well as a broken leg, but he was healthy, happy, and safe. One day, my son enlisted in the army. His young idealist thoughts were that his service in the army would help him in the future with his education. I wasn't pleased about the enlistment, but I supported my son since this is what he wanted to do. Kevin enlisted prior to Sept 11, 2001. My son is no longer an infant; he is an adult doing everything a young man can to be supportive of his country, and fellow troops. He serves with hope and courage, but I can see the fear in his eyes. Even though he is a mature man, I am still his mother. I cannot imagine someone torturing my son; I cannot imagine Someone killing my son. My mind cannot wrap itself around such horrific thoughts, so my heart is in my throat. I cannot protect him, and regardless of how many times I review the situation, I cannot find a way to feel positive about his forthcoming deployment. I will strive to have courage; I will not let him see my tears when he leaves as I know his mind needs to be on the task at hand. I will, as I always have, support Kevin, love him unconditionally, encourage him, and do all I can to help keep him alive through his tour in Iraq . I'm tired of being afraid of being labeled as someone who is less than a patriot because I do not support this war. I do support the men and women of our armed services as a daughter, wife, sister, and mother. My family has served many times over. I would rather see my son in Afghanistan, searching for the murderers who attacked the United States, than see this deployment to Iraq. We will have Christmas together, Kevin and I and a group of other soldiers he frequently brings home for the holidays. I won't let them see how tired I am. However, I feel like a traitor to my son. After all these years of keeping him safe, he is now in the hands of strangers who don't have his best interest in mind, strangers who have their own agenda, strangers who will never know my worry, my love, or my pain. These strangers are my own government, who see my own son as some stranger to be used to further an agenda that serves only themselves. "DEATH IN IRAQ HAS A FACE" FROM: Margaret
Reimer Dear Mr. Moore, I thought you might like to know about the crappy day I had today. While I was at the Maine Mall in Portland, Maine, getting my hair done and buying a purse to carry at my son's wedding next month (things that now seem incredibly petty and pointless), one of my English students from the University of Southern Maine was having the worst day of her young life. Her husband, a 24-year-old National Guardsman from the Maine 133rd Engineering Battalion, was killed about 2 AM Maine time this morning in Mosul. Chris, the dead young man, was a former student of mine. This incredibly stupid war now has a face and a name, and I find I can't quit crying. I was on my way home when Maine Public Radio announced the name of the soldier who died. I had to pullover onto a side road in Webbs Mill (believe me, it's all side roads out there) so that I could phone my husband and vent my grief and rage. Besides, it's not safe to drive while sobbing. I don't want it to seem that I believe that Christopher Gelineau was any more valuable than any of the other 600 soldiers who have died in Iraq to date, or more valuable than the thousands of Iraqis who are dying every day. However, I knew him, and I know his wife, Lavinia, and I cannot bear to think of the burden of grief that she now must carry. Chris was the kind of freshman lit. student whom adjunct faculty pray to get in their classes. He was bright, motivated, willing to question. He read the works assigned and actually seemed to engage in the ideas. I teach literally hundreds of students a year, so he had to be exceptional to stand out in my mind after three years. Part of what made him memorable was that we had to ad- just his end-of-semester work to fit in with an early call-up for Guard training. It was the beginning of a long, problematic relationship with the Guard for Chris. Like many young people, he joined up thinking that he was not only able to do a service to his country (like helping out when his hometown flooded or providing assistance when Maine got slammed by another massive ice storm), but he'd also have money for his college education. Unfortunately, being in the Guard made being a student more than a little difficult. Mine was not the only class in which he had to go to the professor to beg for an adjustment in the syllabus in order to finish. Eleven months ago he got married to Lavinia, a fellow student, here from eastern Europe, studying English and marketing. This semester, Lavinia enrolled in my Ancient Masterpieces class, stopping by early in the semester to ask permission to miss two classes so that she could complete her driver's ed class. Chris had been called up before he could finish teaching her how to drive, and she was now stuck in a town with terrible public transportation and no legal way to drive her car. For the first couple of weeks of class (which doesn't finish till nearly 7 PM), I drove Lavinia back to her apartment, worrying that this fragile young woman would not make it back safely through the cold and the dark. She took to stopping by my office when she had a moment (with a double major and a job, she's a busy young woman). She would tell me about the latest email from Chris, or her plans for celebrating their first anniversary (with him 3000 miles away), or about the nights when she was gripped by terror and couldn't sleep-normal student concerns. She'd email me with pictures of her kitties, or with a link to an article that mentioned Chris, or with forwarded messages about topics she thought I might be interested in. She was particularly concerned about cell phone radiation and was worried I might run a risk for brain cancer because I use my cell phone to talk to my husband. Last week she gave me a roll of slide film of her wedding, which I had volunteered to scan for her so that she could see the pictures. She told me happily about her plan to use the scanned photos as a surprise for Chris-I wasn't to hurry, she could get packages to him in about three weeks ... I finished scanning those photos tonight. Death in Iraq has a face -- it's a sweet, young face, smiling, looking adoringly toward the beautiful bride on his arm. Chris was 24. Lavinia is too young to be a widow. I will do anything in my power to get President Bush out of office. He did this horrible thing. He asked sacrifices of fine young people that he was never willing to ask of himself. He lied, he cheated, he hid, and he lied some more-and Chris paid the price. I was already motivated about the fall election. I support MoveOn financially. I'm signed up for every anti-Bush website I can find. I am running for my local State House seat. I ran my local Democratic caucus. I cohosted a meet up for Congressman Tom Allen a month ago (part of his Reclaim America effort -- not a fund-raiser -- a consciousness raiser) -- 70 people from three little tiny Maine towns (all traditionally Republican, by the way) showed up. This Sunday I'm hosting another. Chris is coming, although there's no way that he can know that. I'm going to print some of his and Lavinia's wedding photos, and I'm going to make sure that everyone who comes to my home on Sunday afternoon sees them. I am going to go after Bush in Chris's name. 1 owe him that much. "THIS IS PERSONAL FOR ME" FROM: Anonymous I work 40-plus hours a week at an air force base in Washington State, at the Tricare Service Center. I deal with returning troops, and ones who are deploying. I love these people. I hear the agony of the families, and see the injuries both physical and mental our soldiers have suffered in this insanity. My eldest son (21) is in the USAF. This is personal for me. When I saw Lila, the woman in Fahrenheit 9/11 whose son was killed in Iraq, weep, I wept, too. My heart is breaking to see what Bush and his administration have done to our people. I've been literally sick since my son signed on the dotted line, just weeks before 9/11. In my gut, I knew ... Bush was here for a brief trip to Spokane earlier this year, and I am ashamed at the thoughts going through my head, of what I'd like to do to him, as he graced our streets here. I guess desperation does that to you. Education is the key, here. We have to take our country back ... thank you for being a catalyst to that! "HE WAS SO EXCITED TO GET OUT AND START HIS LIFE" FROM: Michelle Hi Michael Moore, My boyfriend was scheduled to get out of the Marines in early September -- that's when his four years were finally up. He was sent to Afghanistan after 9/11, served six months in Iraq in 2003, and in May they decided to send him back. Tomorrow, he was scheduled to start the process of finally getting out. Last week I got a call from his dad saying that he had been injured, but that he only had a broken arm. We waited four days until he was flown to Germany, and then we found out that there was nothing wrong with his arm but he had a skull fracture and part of his brain was bruised, and he is unconscious. Yesterday he was flown to D.C., and they let us know about the piece of shrapnel that went into the left side of his head and out underneath his right eye. Now on top of possible brain damage (we won't know for sure until they stop sedating him and he is conscious) he will probably lose the sight in his right eye. It just sucks. He's 21 and not even a fucking citizen of the United States. He was so excited to get out and start his life and move on from all of the crap he's been through in the last four years, and now we don't know if he'll be able to talk, go to school, walk, etc. When I watched Fahrenheit 9/11 a couple weeks ago, I was really pissed at first when the soldiers were portrayed as these crazy kids who think they are in a video game. While it may be somewhat true, you hit it dead-on later in the film when you said, "How can we expect these kids to handle war when those in charge are corrupt?" I really appreciated you spending so much time talking about the soldiers and letting the American public know the hidden story behind those who enter the military today. I don't know how many arguments I have gotten in with people when they tell me that it is my boyfriend's fault because he chose to join the military and he knew what he was getting into. True, he had a choice, but when you fool around in high school and don't have the grades or discipline for college right away, and you turn 18 and are left to fend for yourself, what other choices are there? Plus, he has said many times that he signed up to fight and protect American lives and has no problem doing that, but the war in Iraq has gone too far. He always said when he gets out he wants to be a teacher so he can let those kids like him know that school is important so they don't end up dead at 21 in the military. Thanks for letting me vent. I'm so glad and he's so lucky to be alive, but I don't want to be in the hospital room when he finally gains consciousness. He is going to be so pissed because he was so close to getting out of the military and finally starting a new chapter in his life. What can I do? I feel so helpless and have been against the Bush administration and the war in Iraq since day one, but now I need to turn my sadness and anger into something productive and help prevent someone else from having to go through this pain. "WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THE WIDOW OF A SOLDIER KILLED IN IRAQ?" FROM: G.J.C. Dear Michael, What do you say to the widow of a soldier killed in Iraq? Especially when she's a student in your 9th-period class. Yesterday, a young lady came back to school. Her 19-year-old husband was killed in this ridiculous "war." Her life is upside down. Instead of preparing for the prom, graduation, and spending the summer at the Jersey Shore, she can look forward to visiting this young man's grave and trying to figure out how to move on. What should I say to her? I think I know how my father felt when he was a teacher in 1969 and he was in the same situation. I feel guilty for allowing this unjust war. I feel guilty that the rich pay for young people to die for them. I feel that something needs to be done. It's time to bring our soldiers home and admit that we are responsible for thousands of deaths. John Kerry understands war. He showed that by having the courage to stand up to what he considered an unjust war. Maybe he can do that now. Continue the fight. "PUT ME TO WORK" FROM: Dante Zappala Dear Mike, I've written this letter to you over and over in my head. From the time I saw your first documentary to sitting in a holding tank in a San Francisco jail a year ago, what I might say to you constantly fills my mind. I never compose it or send it because I keep thinking, Well, he's too big now, what would his concern with little old me be? Trivial and insecure, but I'm an American, so I'm entitled to such behavior. I'm writing you now because my brother is going to Iraq next week. He's got arguably the worst job in the world -- convoy-security in the Sunni Triangle. We're a peace-loving, war protesting family. My brother is a foster child who joined the army to get money for his son and be a better father than his own. And now his mission is to come back alive, and, in the process, he is being trained to run over children who stand in the way of the convoys because they could be potential threats. Kids like his own, kids who may just want to get food. He's at Fort Dix practicing, knocking over cardboard cutouts. My question, hope, whatever it is ... I am teaching here in L.A. I fill whatever the need is here in South Central. (Sorry! South L.A., we got a name and image change -- how easy!) There's a thread running through this place, through Philadelphia where we were raised, through Wilkes-Barre where my brother's guard unit is located. What is my charge, Mike? Like so many, I want to do so much. I fight apathy with optimism, with idealism, with anger. I fight frustration with hope. And now, it's my brother. Now it's my nephew who has lost his dad for an 18-month tour. Put me to work. Just put me to work. My story is so common yet unheard. I want to get it out. I want to be put in your service, out here in L.A.; I think I can help. I'm one of many, I believe, beset with the compulsion to make a difference. SECOND LETTER "YESTERDAY, WE HEARD THAT HE WAS KILLED ..." FROM: Dante Zappala Dear Michael, I wrote to you two months ago. I told you the story of my older brother, a foster kid who joined the army to support his own son. He was called to service in Iraq at the beginning of this year. Yesterday, we heard that he was killed in an explosion in Baghdad. We are, undoubtedly, a strong family. My younger brother and I search for answers, our worst fears having come true. Our parents instilled in us a sense of responsibility, a sense of care, a sense of peace. We maintain that charge, even more so today. Allow us to help you in any way we can. The real stories are not being told. You have made this clear: We are faced with the monumental task of doing the simplest thing -- telling the truth. I want the truth to be heard and the image to be real as we approach such an important period of decision making. I hope that, in this time, others can sense this feeling. I hope they begin to tire of the preschool food fights we see in politics and the media. I hope they receive more than just a sensational glimpse into reality. News bites are not reality. Political grandstanding is not reality. Reality is when your sister-in-law calls you to tell you her husband is dead. Reality is trying to explain this to his nine-year-old son. After I first wrote, you extended to me a kind and touching response. I, therefore, wanted to pass along this sad piece of information to you. We are determined to prevent the deaths of other soldiers -- the sons, fathers, and brothers still faced with the same incredible consequence that my own brother realized yesterday. Nothing will ever replace this loss. My brother was one of a kind, a true gift to us for the 30 years we had him. May we all do what we can to honor him and the countless other human victims of this atrocious conflict. "ARE YOU WILLING TO SEND YOUR CHILD TO IRAQ?" FROM: M.B. Dear Mr. Moore, I know you won't read this, but I will hope that you do. My stepson, Michael, was sent to Baghdad on February first. He was sent into a fraudulent war, by a fraudulent president, and by a group of thugs and criminals inhabiting the White House. I'm in Michigan, and I watch the jobs here being outsourced daily, and the people suffer. I have watched my mother file for bankruptcy and sell her furniture for money to pay for her medication. For three and a half years I have been marching against this administration, these frat-boy thugs who stole our White House. I have been interviewed by the Washington Post to speak out for the families of the soldiers and for the soldiers themselves. I have racked up a phone bill calling my congresspeople, and have done what I can with the limited resources I have. I am reaching a point of despair and anger that I cannot express, as are many other people who see the truth, I'm sure. Today, when ten bombs exploded in Baghdad, I sat in terror, as I will sit for a year worrying horribly for my stepson as civil war erupts. As the people of Baghdad and Iraq turn to the reservists and guard troops of 18, 19, 20 years old and say, "Get out!," I think of the fatcats from Halliburton sitting in the leather chairs swilling brandy and chuckling to themselves about how much they made on their short-term profits. Meanwhile, my stepson stands in 120-degree heat and emails me: "Hey Mom ... send me some snacks ... man we are really hungry ... one of the guys detonated a roadside bomb, and a mob of about 250 people outside the prison here are protesting. But don't worry! I won't die. I'll come home someday ... send me some Famous Amos cookies if you can ... I love you ... Mike." He's 21. He's a reservist who signed up for the weekends. Wanted to be a cop someday. The only jobs here pay $5 an hour, and he figured it would help him to get some free training. No matter how hard we tried to talk him out of it, he went. He was afraid not to. Now, I am pleading with you for one thing. Let me help. I can write so many letters; I can fax so many congresspeople; I can be interviewed by so many newspapers. I am not afraid of anyone anymore. I am not afraid to speak out and say what I think, and I am very vocal. What have I got to lose? Our kid, that's what. It's Katy Bar the Door for me now. I want to go down to D.C., I want to walk into every senator and representative's office who does NOT have a kid in the service and ask them if they are willing to enlist THEIR son for this fraudulent war that they refuse to take accountability for. They refuse to question Bu$h about it; they refuse to even bring it up. I call all the Republican senators who never served and who have kids who are my stepson's age, and I ask them, "ARE YOU WILLING TO SEND YOUR CHILD AS A SOLDIER TO IRAQ?" I ask them to put their money where their mouth is -- I ask them if they want me to come down there and bring them enlistment forms. They hang up on me. I don't have a camera crew; I don't have the money. I have the time, though, and I have the chutzpah. If you can't use me to do that, then use me for something else. If I don't put this anger somewhere, this outrage, I may sink into despair. You have the connections and the camera crew. I don't. I thank you for what you are doing, but realize this also: There is nothing more dangerous to the Bu$h administration than an angry mother of a soldier in Iraq. An angry enlightened mother is a powerful tool to use. In the meantime, here's a prayer for a kid in Iraq, if you don't mind. A teenager with a gun who is scared and doesn't want to be there. His name is Michael. He's from Michigan. SECOND LETTER "I GUESS I HAVE TO BELIEVE IN A GOD ..." FROM: M.B. Since I last wrote to you, my husband and I have been involved in antiwar activities, even with the limited resources we have in a small town. From standing on our street corner with signs, to being interviewed by Le Monde and any number of radio interviews. I have been working my butt off from February to June, when my husband had a nervous breakdown over his son's deployment. It put him in the hospital. We are very isolated in this small town, and at the beginning of the war we were spit on, had our car door keyed and kicked in. The straw that broke the camel's proverbial back was when my husband went to the grocery store one day and was run off the road by some idiot in a pickup truck because of our antiwar bumper stickers. This was at the beginning of this senseless war, and we had a child over there. My husband came home shaking and crying, a mess, a total mess. He went under fast. He has been diagnosed with clinical depression, as have I, in fact. The whole family is a mess. I have kept all of my son Michael's emails. Michael told me that when Rumsfeld landed at Abu Ghraib, he and the other grunts there silently protested Rumsfeld. They went into the Internet cafe and sat down. Michael's words about Rummy? "He had 10 gunships pointed at him to protect him, an armored vehicle, a presidential helicopter, and we all call him a 'pussy.'" You won't see that on the news, but that's where it's at. The soldiers on the ground think Rummy is a pussy. They hate him. Michael also told us that ONE WEEK after the torture photographs from Abu Ghraib came out, the goddamned place was air-conditioned. Michael said to me," All the Iraqi people ever wanted was the truth; all they got was lies." Michael is a good kid. He also told me he has "seen things and heard of things that are bad, so I'm keeping a journal." I know Michael. He would never keep a journal. I'm glad he is. He needs to get what he is seeing and hearing off his chest for his own mental health. Remember when Bush said, "We are going to demolish Abu Ghraib" in his lame speech? Well, at that time, I was sending care packages to Michael and to his unit. In fact, I had tons of people at DemocraticUnderground.com sending Michael and the rest of his unit packages. It was great -- all the kids were getting something, and it was running along smoothly. Then, that idiot Bush says in his speech, "I'm going to tear down Abu Ghraib." Well, Michael wrote to me right away and said, "Don't send any more care packages! Top brass says we are moving south!" So I stopped sending the care packages and informed all my friends at Democratic Underground to stop. But what do you think happened? I find out that Bush "inserted" that idea without Congressional approval. MORON!!! Now, Michael's unit, that had REALLY COUNTED ON THOSE CARE PACKAGES didn't get them anymore. I had to hurriedly recontact everyone on Democratic Underground to tell them what was going on and try and re-enlist their help in sending the care packages .... Bush is so out of touch with every soldier and human being and family member of the military involved in this country and this "war" that he could care less how his "statement" affected our family, and the care packages that weren't sent to these kids. I was so angry I couldn't take it anymore. I am so tired now I can barely take it. Michael missed our birthdays, his birthday. We have only heard from him ONCE by phone. His emails are far and few. He says his unit is being put in "trailers" now, whatever that means. He wrote and told us one day "92 people injured today, 22 wounded." He said he cannot take another April bombing. I informed him via email that Sy Hersh was planning on writing an expose of the previous unit's rape and sodomizing of young children and women at Abu Ghraib so he can be aware of the possibility of publicity that will come out. Because Michael is THERE at Abu Ghraib, I told him to please, please, please be careful. He is a sitting duck. I even wrote Mr. Hersh and asked him to please tell me when The New Yorker intends to publish his piece. I need to know. I need to know. I need to warn Michael because the Muslim world will attack Michael, even though he is just a 21- year-old kid caught up in a world of shit caused by a lot of wealthy bastards and neocons who could care less what happens to these kids. Michael represents the United States to them. But Michael isn't a neocon. He's a kid who plays baseball and wants to be cop someday. The only solace we have as a family is that he is not a Marine at this point. We still walk around forgetting what day it is, what time it is, and we are all in a daze in this family. I write about this on a blog. It's the only way I can release it, get the fear off my chest. And, yes, the whole family is in counseling. We have to be. The stress is sometimes unbearable. Panic attacks, worry, and, what's worse, knowing perfectly well this whole war was a scam -- a fraud -- and still is. People all over the country have asked me, "If you had believed in it would it make a difference?" Well, I don't believe in living in denial. Every soldier who died in Iraq died for nothing. Every civilian who died died for nothing. Everyone who was wounded was wounded for nothing. Nothing. Not a goddamned thing. People speak abstractly about the war because they have no one over there. It consumes you when someone you love is over there. You have to live it every day, every waking moment. Every second. If a bomb goes off in Fallujah, we know our loved one is five miles away. I have watched my husband sit and cry into his hands, cry and cry all day and not know if Michael was okay because the electricity was down near Baghdad. There is nothing worse than these armchair warriors who spout and mumble about how wonderful the war is, these vacuous idiots who have no kids over there, who make comments with nothing at stake. Many women I speak with say one thing ... these kids are dying for nothing. And it's true. Perhaps it's hard for the U.S. public to wrap their minds around that truth. Our children have been sent to a war to die for nothing. I knew the truth from the beginning. That made it hard for my husband and me. We were not in denial. We knew about the Carlyle Group, and PNAC, and all of it. We knew. We tried to put a face on the soldiers, on the coffins, on the body bags. We tried. No one listened when we marched or spoke out. Remember, we were "a focus group." I lay in bed for 2 days the other day. I didn't move. I lay there crying after painting a painting of women lying on the ground, their babies under them, dead, with an American flag waving over them, torn, bleeding onto them ... because that's what I see. The death of the women and children in Iraq, the death of beauty and truth, the death of something honorable and kind, the death of empathy and compassion. That painting had to come out of me and it did, and now I'm tired. I'm also not alone. Thousands of other families are weary, tired, alone, wishing to God this was over, wishing their children weren't there, wishing we could make this nightmare go away. There is a bitter vindication in knowing my husband and I were right all along about this fake war. Bitter. Too many died, too many have died and been destroyed for nothing. Michael is standing in Iraq as we speak. It's not over yet. I guess I have to believe in a God, but I'm not sure what it is. Maybe the God of compassion, empathy, and a gentle heart. I have no idea if America has any of that left at this point. Thank you for allowing me to write. "My BROTHER HAD BEEN KILLED IN THE WAR" FROM: Michelle
Sekara I don't know how to write the words I need to write to you in the profound way that I feel them. ... Let me first say this ... you have lifted the unheard, unsung voices of my dead brother, our mother, our sister, my immediate family, and me ... I can't say how grateful I am to you for making the movie Fahrenheit 9/11. My brother, Staff Sergeant Michael R. Conner, USMC, was a career soldier initially by "choice" (read: desperation with patriotism) and later by necessity. I once asked him what he really loved and he said, "This," and looked around and said, "America." A." you were able to convey in your film, the people who join the Marines are the disenfranchised, the uneducated, the poor. My brother was all these things, including patriotic. I just want you to know that I finally feel "validated." My brother was killed in the Gulf War in early 1991. He was the first to die in the San Francisco Bay Area, and I miss him every day. His death left behind two little sons aged seven and eleven and his wife. Their 13th wedding anniversary went uncelebrated a few short months after his death. In spite of our great loss, I want you to know how extremely happy I feel to have our story heard. You may have interviewed a different mother in Fahrenheit 9/11 and a different family, but it may well have been mine. For years I've told people, sometimes strangers, that my brother died in the war, and I often got the response, "What war, the Vietnam War?" I was shocked and amazed ... and I was angry ... very angry. I was angry that Desert Storm was not even brought to the American people on TV ... the extremely limited footage combined with little informative and useful commentary made it seem that nothing unusual was going on ... yet my brother had been killed in the war and my world turned upside down. What was really frustrating and angering was that I lived (and still do) in San Francisco, and many of the people here would simply tune out once they heard that my Marine brother had been killed in the war ... All of a sudden they didn't know what to say. A few times people said my brother "deserved" to die because after all, he joined the military "voluntarily." I always wondered if these same people's IQs exceeded that of their shoe sizes ... and if they were born without normal brain circuitry which enables the emotion of empathy to be felt. I just had to constantly explain to people how and why my brother joined the Marines and that, yes, he was patriotic, and no, he didn't agree with everything our government did. Your film has created bridges. People can finally see that the very young men and women who join the Marines (and other military branches) are usually doing so out of circumstance, desperation, and because there are no other ways to make a living. Another bridge your film created was for the people who protested the wars (in the Gulf and the war in Iraq) and with the military families -- something that I've long been trying to do. Both the protesters (including myself) and the families of the military are patriotic and express their patriotism by dissenting when they learn that something is not right. I want to extend an eternal thank-you for illustrating how the world really is ... for elucidating that our military is not the enemy, but filled with the common "people" and for putting the blame where it rightfully belongs, to Bush and his administration. The culprits of 9/11 are Bin Laden and al Qaeda, and Bush is still not intent on finding, imprisoning, and punishing them. Bush managed to trick the American people into linking the horrible tragedy of 9/11 to Iraq when no such link exists. This was how he sold the Iraq War to us ... what a disgrace, what a shame, and what a waste of human lives. It's clear that the Bush administration cares only for themselves (the superrich and powerful) and not for the rest of America, the common people. "SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, DUMP BUSH" FROM: Tiffany
Benitez Dear Michael Moore & Readers, I am a registered nurse in one of the top military hospitals in the country. I work on the ortho floor, which means we get most of the wounded soldiers. We treat injuries having to do with arms, legs, burns, and so forth. When the war first began, I, like most Americans, thought, All right, we're defending our country against the 9/11 attacks. I am not a Republican, and I never cared for George W. Bush because I never understood how someone who spoke so poorly could be the leader of our country. However, I was quite impressed with the way he took the initiative to defend our country. In the beginning, the soldiers were coming back, and they all said the same things. "I gotta get back there and take care of my troops," or "I got a job to finish over there, I can't wait to get back." I mean, there were 19-, 20-year-old guys losing arms and legs and saying they would do it all over again if they had to. As time progressed, their sentiments changed. Now, they are coming back and all saying the same thing. "We're a bunch of sitting ducks over there," or "We don't know what the hell is going on anymore." Just like the corporal in Fahrenheit 9/11, these soldiers are saying the same things: they would rather face jail time than go back. People here at the hospital are debating the movie. Republicans bash it, even though no one I talk to who bashes it has even seen it! Everyone is up in arms over whether Bush is a greedy, manipulative person, and I and a lot of people know he is. However, when you take all of that away, we are still left with these soldiers. They are young, and now damaged because of this war. A war we did not have to fight! It is so difficult to go to work every day and see soldiers with missing limbs, and see them talking on the telephone to their young girlfriends, knowing they can't possibly understand the impact these injuries and this war will have on their lives. They can't -- they are too young to know. I now have a bumper sticker on my car that says, "Support Our Troops, Dump Bush." By getting rid of Bush, maybe we can eventually get out of Iraq. I live in Texas, and I am so afraid Bush will win again. I would be devastated because I know it means I will be very busy at work, busy treating more injured soldiers. Besides, even if Bush doesn't win, it won't matter because he will just steal the election again! "THEY CAN'T SEND BOTH PARENTS TO WAR" FROM: Mama Yaa Aseda
Hogue My eldest son, SPC Nathaniel (21 years old) and his wife, SPC Amanda (20 years old) have both been in Tikrit, Iraq, since February 2004. Nathan and HIS WIFE? Mandy left a daughter who is just 14 months old, with us in Oakland, California. They have missed her first steps, her first tooth, her first birthday (April 9, 2004), and her first real words. When they return, I want to send the U.S. Army a bill for the psychotherapy the whole family will require to rebond their relationships. My son is African American, and Mandy is Mexican American. They wanted to get the college benefits so they joined the army after high school. (Mandy in El Paso, Texas and Nathan in Accokeek, Maryland.) They met, fell in love, and married in the army. God is blessing them to be at the same base in Iraq even though they are in different companies. When I tell people about my son and daughter-in-law being in Iraq, the first response is, "They can't send both parents to war." The answer is that the U.S. Army can and will do whatever they want as long as the people are in the dark. Thank God for your movie! At last a blind has been lifted at the White House, and we can see that inside is dirty and broken down. Send the Bush twins over to serve and send my kids home. Thank you for allowing me a place to share my story and vent. I will be helping to get folks to the polls and to your movie. "IT'S NOT ENOUGH TO SAY YOU SUPPORT THE TROOPS" FROM: Emily Riggs Dear Mike, My husband got out of the army in February just before most of the men in his unit were deployed to Iraq. I cannot express to you enough how much I agree with your statement about how our "president" is the one who really does not support the troops. I have grown up around the military my entire life. My father was an army captain, and my husband was a sergeant when he got out. Military families are forced to sacrifice so much for so little. My children rarely got to spend a Christmas or a birthday with their father, and when he was sent to Korea for a year, we were not only on our own but we had to make due with less money because they took away his separate rations. That is how much appreciation the government has for the job these guys do. My husband, not unlike countless others who join the armed services, only joined because they promised him a free college education, which he is now taking advantage of. But it was far from free. He spent ten years of his life working long hours for VERY little pay and even less appreciation. I would like to express to people that it is not enough just to say that you support our troops. You should lobby your congressmen and -women to support a pay raise for the troops and support initiatives to build newer, better quality housing for military families. And most of all, if you really support the troops, you should insist that they be brought home NOW and that this meaningless war come to an end as soon as possible before more of the people they "support" are killed or wounded. "I CHECK My EMAIL ALL DAY, EVERY DAY" FROM: Anonymous Dear Michael, My friends and I just saw Fahrenheit 9/11, and I want to say thank you. I applaud you for showing people the proof of what our country is doing. My husband is serving in the army and has been gone since January of this year. They told him he would be gone 12 months. I received his first letter in February, when they actually started counting their 12 months, to tell me that he will be gone 18 months. They also canceled their leave for this year, so we don't know when we will see him at all. We email each other, and he tries to call when he is able to. We have two toddlers, and I reassure them all the time that their dad loves them and that his job is very hard, so we may not see him for a long time. I cry all the time because I receive emails from all the other wives who are losing their husbands. My kids rely on pictures and postcards to hear from their father, and I check my email all day, every day, to see if he has written. I miss my husband. Thank you for the truth and for showing the pain that comes with war. Thank you so much for pissing a lot of people off with the truth. "HE HAS TAKEN MY CHILD FROM ME" FROM: Nancy W Dear Mr. Moore, I have seen Fahrenheit 9/11 several times. Each showing has made me angrier and angrier at the situation we Americans have allowed to occur under the Bushwhacker. I was particularly moved by the Flint, Michigan, mom who lost her son in this senseless conflict. I told my children many of the same things she told her children. I encouraged my daughter and son to join the military, see the world, learn a trade, and have money for college. What a fool I was! My oldest daughter is in the Marines and is being sent to the hellhole of the world, Iraq -- even though the war is over. She went into the Marines because I was a single mom, with the inability to pay her way through college. What of the world has she seen? Okinawa for the past 14 months, and now she is being sent to Iraq for an unknown period of time. As she told me, she's just a fresh piece of meat to be ground up in the "war." It will be anywhere from 24 months to 32 months before I see her again and can hold her close. I have been against not only the war but Bush himself, but now that he has taken my child from me, I am fighting mad. She will never be the same after going there. Outwardly she may look the same, but her spirit and soul will be forever changed. I want to march, carry a sign to "Bring the troops home," or speak against Bush, but I feel there is no place for me in my country. Keep your message coming forth -- keep it coming for those of us who have no platform from which to express our views. Thank you for the message in Fahrenheit 9/11. "THEY HA\'E ACCUSED HIM OF COWARDICE" FROM: Anonyrnous Just saw Fahrenheit 9/11. It made me weep. Last year, my son and I were featured in a series of articles in the Chicago Tribune because I was protesting the war while he was fighting it. He killed a civilian woman his first week in Iraq and didn't have the stomach to fight after that incident. Last fall, he was given an honorable discharge from the Marine Corps, and is prohibited from ever reenlisting. They have accused him of cowardice. I think he is simply human. The emotional effects of killing innocent people are another by-product of this needless war. You have done an enormous service to military families everywhere by demonstrating the horrors of war, its brutalizing effect on our troops, and the innocent people we kill in the name of "freeing" them. "TROUBLE ISN'T TROUBLE UNTIL IT VISITS ONE'S OWN HOME" FROM: M.G.M. Mike, As a mother of a young soldier who recently completed an enlistment, I was taken by your movie. I was especially touched by the loss the family felt in the death of their son. My child served four years with an additional three months added to the agreed upon enlistment. The dilemma our family faces now is that our child may be called up again for additional time to go to Iraq or Afghanistan to serve out the "inactive reserve" portion of the contract, which was not explained at the time of signing. I canNOT relate to the recruiters signing these young people up to serve with a dishonest intent. It just grieves my entire spirit to see these young people being forced to fight a war that has no justification other than greed. It is like sending "hogs" off to slaughter as many, many of them will never return, and most will never be the same after their ordeals. My 23-year-old has experienced more emotional horror than I could ever imagine in my 45 years of life. There is such trauma associated with this ordeal that only God can restore. I am in touch with many of my child's friends who served alongside each other while in active duty and during a tour to the Middle East shortly after 9/11. Their whole mentality is not what normal early 20-year-olds should be dealing with. Many of them grieve for their friends, and it is not unusual to see them with tattoos bearing the initials R.I.P. with dedications to their fallen comrades on their bodies. This just breaks my heart. I am sure the thought has not occurred to Bush that for every member of the armed services who is "murdered" in the Middle East, there are many people who are connected to that one person. I appreciated the part of the movie that showed the members of Congress who were not willing to sacrifice their own children. That was really worth highlighting. You see, trouble isn't trouble until it visits one's own home. I am encouraging every person I know to vote Bush out of office in November. This is the only hope for the world as we have known it and the only chance for some resemblance of peace. As a Christian, it is difficult for me to see Bush as a man of God as I've heard from so many pundits throughout the country, and the world for that matter. I respect his position as the president, though he was not my choice. However, pain, destruction, and chaos are all that have come from his presidency for ordinary people, which has hindered many of us from accomplishing extraordinary things. George W Bush has only brought about very bad things that have hurt so many people. That is a direct opposition of what God would want for people. It's a sad day in our nation if George W Bush is allowed to continue his destructive and deviant behavior for four more years. I for one thank God for your documentary. It has been revelation for me and I hope for others. "I HAVE BEEN WORKING NONSTOP TO STOP THIS WAR" FROM: Nancy Brown Dear Michael Moore, My son Ryan is a member of the Vermont National Guard who signed up for tuition money before the war started. Never did he dream he would be in mortal danger driving a Humvee in Baghdad and its surroundings (sometimes on RPG Alley). He tells me he will be voting against Bush. I have been working nonstop to stop this war, using my personal experience to get more and more members to join Military Families Speak Out (www.mfso.org). I have been speaking on lo- cal TV and radio stations, going to rallies and panel discussions. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for what you are doing to help my son, all the other soldiers, and the Iraqi people- indeed, to help America extricate herself from this mess. "I CRIED WHEN SHE LEFT" FROM: C.S. Dear Mr. Moore, Yesterday, Saturday, July 3rd, my wife deployed for training in Fort Bliss, Texas. She is part of the HHC, for the 116th Engineer Battalion, Idaho Army National Guard. She is to spend roughly two months in Texas, then her unit is being sent to Fort Polk, Louisiana. There she will continue to train until November, be- fore being sent to Iraq. I cried when she left yesterday. I cried and I held our two sons close to me. They are both too young to understand what is going on, but in a little while they will be able to ask me where Mommy is. Watching my wife board that bus was one of the hardest things that I have ever had to do. I, too, was in the Idaho Army National Guard, for four and a half years. As a matter of fact, that is where we met. I watched Fahrenheit 9/11 today, and I cried again. To hear Mrs. Lipscomb talk about the loss of her son made me think about what I would do if I lost my wife. I can honestly say I don't know how I would react if it did happen. I admit that I was one of the millions of Americans who voted for George w. Bush back in 2000, because of his lies. I wish I hadn't. Idaho is primarily a Republican state, so I think that, once again, Bush will win it in 2004, It is probably one of the few states where Bush actually did win the electoral vote. I think back to the founding of our great country, and how in a presidential election, the winner became president, and the loser became vice president. We do live in fictitious times, with a fictitious leader. A regular "commander in thief." I know for a fact that all of my family, who are primarily Republican, are not going to vote for Bush this election. Please continue to make good movies, and show the American people, as well as the world, about the injustice being done in the name of good. "THERE SHE WAS, LEFT ALONE" FROM: Eric Morrison Hey Michael, My younger brother just got out of the Marines and was one of the first to hit the ground when the war started. It was probably the scariest time of my life having to watch the biased news coverage of the preemptive invasion and wondering every moment where my brother was. I was struck with guilt, feeling that it should have been me over there instead of him. There were a lot of emotions, and I could go on for a long time about this, but there is one story that I would like to share with you that will only take a minute, as it is something I will not forget for the rest of my life. After Bush declared the war officially over, my brother was lucky to be one of the first units to leave as they had seen some of the heaviest action. I spent the summer backpacking Europe, but on my way over from Alaska I first stopped in North Carolina to welcome home my brother and the rest of his buddies. It was a great feeling to see him after the whole ordeal and to be able to give him a big hug and tell him I love him. Right after the buses pulled into the Marine base, I noticed a group of Marines standing in a single-file line, and I was wondering what they were doing, since they had just stepped off the bus. I watched as each Marine, having just spent months in hell, and before they spent time with their families or friends, each of them paid their respects to the family of a fallen Marine. The mother of this fallen soldier was sitting on the edge of a grass field at the unit's barracks, the father standing beside her, and each Marine proceeded to give her a hug and then shake the father's hand. I stood there transfixed and watched as about 30 Marines did this, unable to avert my watery eyes. Then the last one gave her a hug and there she was, left alone. It was without a doubt the saddest moment I have ever witnessed, and it made me sick to my stomach. It filled me with guilt that I was experiencing so much joy by the return of my brother and someone else was breathing the same air I was, yet experiencing so much sorrow. The soldier who died was one of the AAV drivers killed near Nasiriyah right around the same time Jessica Lynch's ordeal happened. I really enjoyed the recent newsletter of yours and how you said that it is important to say you support the troops even though you oppose the war. Well, I opposed the war and saw right through the lies, but I had no choice but to support my kid brother and his brothers in arms. My brother is now retired from the Marines and is still in the lackluster economy of Oregon searching for a suitable job. The fucked-up part is that even though he put his life on the line in the Middle East in 2001, and again in Iraq in 2003, the only job he could get to pay his bills is as a seasonal telemarketer for a big southern Oregon fruit corporation. I'm not sure how many people will have sent in emails regarding this, but he loves movies and if you can put him on that list for a copy of Bowling for Columbine, I'd be very grateful. Sorry this was so long, but I had a few things I wanted to tell you. "I'M ALREADY GOING CRAZY, PRAYING HE WILL COME HOME" FROM: Metta
Switalski Hi. My name is Metta Switalski. My husband is in the army and is stationed in Korea, for now. We reenlisted for Korea for 18 months to prevent him from going to Iraq, but the day he left was the day they announced that they would be sending 3,600 soldiers from Korea to Iraq. I prayed so hard that he wouldn't be one of the too many being sent over there, but he is. He will be going in August. I know in my heart that he will come home, but I have come to terms with what could happen over there. I don't claim to know what the government is doing to this country or what we are really doing in Iraq. Because I think that if I really knew what my husband is doing I would go crazy. I'm already going crazy just praying that he will come home and knowing that the day he left could be the last time I get to see him. I'm not a religious person by any means, but I think in my own way that I am now. I don't know why I decided to write to you and tell you my story, but thank you for taking the time to read it. I also want to thank you for everything you do for the men and women in the military and for their families. Being a military wife, it means a lot to me that there are people like you who actually care what hap- pens to us and who are trying to make a difference. "HIS NAME Is MARCUS" FROM: M. Denton Mr. Moore, I don't know why I am writing to you. Maybe it's just so that I can tell you a little bit about my brother who is serving over in Mosul, Iraq. His name is Marcus. We call him Mark. Or if you're family, we call him Marky. He's 20. He joined the army straight out of high school. He actually had to wait a couple weeks after graduation to sign up. That is when he turned 18. My sister is his twin. He was at Fort Benning during his phase of boot camp when 9111 occurred. It was also at this time I found out that my brother had joined up to be in the infantry. Of course my heart sank. I think he didn't tell me 'cause he knew I probably wouldn't handle it too well. Well, now he is a driver of a Stryker. Each time I hear of another soldier being wounded or dying in Iraq my heart sinks and I stop breathing. I get angry. I get very angry. I've felt this way since this horrible war started. I wait to hear where it occurred. And if it occurred in Mosul, I simply wait to see if the phone will ring. Even when I haven't heard the latest news, I hate it when my phone rings. I hate it when I can see that a phone call is coming from my home state of California. I'm AL- WAYS thinking in the back of my mind, "This is it. This is the call that will break my heart." Thank God that hasn't happened yet. I don't know how the families who have lost their loved ones over in this war can carry on. My heart goes out to them. I finally saw your documentary Bowling for Columbine. I re-member that Oscar speech very well. My mouth dropped open to say the least. Let me explain why. I kept up with what was going on in the world. At least I thought I did. I watched the news. I read the news. I guess being a parent to a then 5-year-old and 2-year-old was keeping me from really learning about the big picture of it all. I didn't understand why you were saying what you said. The only thing I could gather from your speech was that you were still angry about the election, which I did keep up with when it happened and could understand why you felt the way you did. I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for opening my eyes. They were never closed ... just averted some. I'm a busy lady. But I try to do what I can. The care kits to the Iraqi children have sparked a lot of interest in me, and I think I can get a group to make some up in the near future. I hope I can. If I can't, I'll make some on my own and send them out. My kids need to see their mother helping out children who don't have what they have. "THERE IS CERTAINLY GREAT SADNESS" FROM: S.L.S. Dear Michael, Having seen your film, I would like to thank you for your efforts and particularly for the clip regarding the wounded soldiers. My daughter is in the air force and stationed in Germany. She and her fiance, also an airman, recently came home for a visit. As they are both in the medical field, I asked them to share with me their experiences and thoughts about the war in Iraq. They eagerly shared their personal thoughts about the war but also began telling of daily incoming flights filled to capacity with the wounded soldiers from Iraq. As they relayed the numbers I found myself in disbelief that this number was a DAILY occurrence. I grilled them repeatedly, not wanting to believe what I was hearing, that EVERY DAY a plane flew in filled to capacity with wounded, some of whom were on life support. I shamefully admit that up until their report of this I had not considered the wounded. Yes, as I read the death toll reported daily in the morning paper and on the radio, my sadness each day was momentarily intense. But as with so many of us, the daily responsibilities of my personal life allowed me to push aside this atrocity for the time being and get about my business. As my daughter and her fiance shared more, I was aghast to learn that, depending on when a wounded soldier dies (i.e., after leaving Iraq or in flight out of Iraq) they mayor MAY NOT be counted as a casualty of war, suggesting that the numbers we are privy to via the news media do not reflect the actual count. True to my form, I was outraged and questioned why there was no news coverage about this. Where were the journalists, who once went to great efforts in trying to figure out where President Clinton did what with whom and a cigar? I was reminded of a story one of my coworkers had shared about her son, a military man recently home from Iraq. I had in fact sent a letter to the editor of our local newspaper relaying the story and asking why more wasn't written on the trauma these soldiers come home with (I received no response from the paper). There is certainly great sadness for all of our fine young men and women who go forth under the guise of protecting us, only to lose their lives by so doing. That we might fail to acknowledge the number of soldiers whose lives will never be the same because of mental trauma or physical wounds is shameful and cowardly. Interestingly, and to my pleasant surprise, my other half, who has been a card-carrying Republican for years, and having done the research for himself, has now made a commitment to do all he can to get Bush out of office. Being a pretty liberal person, I had been working on him and ever so slowly moving him into the light. Your movie was the last little push he needed. I thank you for that. "WE ARE SICK OF BEING MANIPULATED AND LIED TO" FROM: Bob and
Heather Sommer Dear Michael, Our son is currently serving in the army in Iraq. We want to thank you for producing this film and bottling all of the rage and frustration that we have experienced in the past year into a couple of hours of superb filmmaking. Perhaps the greatest testament to your message and its effectiveness is that our soon-to-be-voting- for-the-first-time daughter and many of her friends have been impacted by your film and will be heading for the voting booth in November. We continually grieve for those families who experience the pain that we most fear. This administration is the worst in the history of this country, and we are sick of being manipulated and lied to. Your film has done a great service to our country, and we were proud to see it on the evening of July 4th, in lieu of attending the fireworks! "I AM OUTRAGED " FROM: Carrie
Philpott Dear Mr. Moore, I am writing to you today to inform you of something that I find appalling beyond words. I am a Marine Corps mother whose 19-year-old son is currently stationed in Iraq. This is not an "honor" that I wear on my sleeve, but I feel that it is important to support and aid our troops as I can. I became acquainted with a woman whose army reservist son is currently serving as a medical doctor at one of the U.S. Army hospitals in Baghdad. We share our fears for our sons whenever she frequents my place of work. Two weeks ago she mentioned that she would be making medical scrubs for her son and some of the other doctors and medics because they are not being supplied with an adequate number of scrub uniforms to have sterile garb for each shift of work. She asked if I would be willing to help make scrubs. I am a professional individual in the sewing-related business and was thrilled to spend my days off helping in any way I could. The last thing I would want is for my son to be injured on the battlefield and the attending doctor and hospital not to be an adequately sterile environment. I am outraged that the U.S. government, with all of the con-tract money being allocated for war efforts, is not able to find the money to budget for these necessary supplies. I believe that this is an area of expenditure (or lack of) that needs immediate investigation. Are you up for it? "TODAY HE IS FLY1NG BACK TO IRAQ" FROM: Patricia LaRue I am a mother of a soldier who has been in Iraq, and although he has been back in the States for the last five months, today he is flying back to Iraq. I have been shocked and stunned that he was ever sent there at all. The army recruiter virtually guaranteed that my son would NOT be asked to serve in the war zone. My son is the ONLY surviving son to carry on the family name, and his dad is deceased. In my son rests the entire future of our family line. Initially, I tried to support Bush. I listened carefully to all the news, from every source, and analyzed the discussions as new events developed. In the end, the conclusion I arrived at was one that was in conflict with my support for my son. I had to resolve this conflict quickly, for the sake of my son. So my support for my son as a soldier and as my son became distinct from my opposition to the war and to Bush's policies. Nevertheless, this does not help in any way to ameliorate my worries about my son 's safety. I contacted the army about my son's status as sole surviving son. I was told that the prior policy of protecting such soldiers was changed during the Gulf War (under Bush-daddy). In other words, neither Bush gives a rat's *** about such Americans whose sacrifice may end their family name forever, who have the least in support networks (i.e., I have no husband to share the burden of the worry with). I just want you to know that my youngest daughter and I saw the film today. Almost everything you presented were things we knew or suspected; but you connected all the dots in a way that made it understandable. "A REAL PATRIOT" FROM: Terry LeBlanc I just want to let you know you saved a life. My 19-year-old son has been planning to join the ROTC in college because he wants to be a "real" patriot. He signed up for their course this fall. No amount of begging, rationalization or bribes were working to pre- vent him from signing up. Then the other day he went to see Fahrenheit 9/11. He came home and announced he was totally changing his mind and recognized he could be patriotic in other ways, i.e., being an informed voter. The words don't exist to express my gratitude to you. "IT'S EASY TO PROFESS PATRIOTISM" FROM: S.C. On December 6th, my organization was a part of the holiday family-support meeting of one of our local National Guard units. Eight volunteers and their therapy animals went to the meeting in hopes of providing a little nontraditional holiday cheer to some folks who are facing hard times. Most of the unit members had recently returned from bases in Texas and Virginia, where they had been filling spots vacated by active-duty members of the military who had been deployed to the Middle East. These same Guard members had also just learned that they will be redeployed in the coming months to serve again, this time in Iraq. I sat on the floor with my dog and talked with kids of all ages and parents who were putting on brave faces. I found it difficult to breathe for a moment when I realized that I was in the company of moms and dads who may leave for a country halfway across the globe in a few months and never come home again. But the face I remember most clearly from that meeting belonged to a uniformed man who came in with his four-year-old son. I watched him as he watched his boy, and I could see the man committing every detail to memory, trying to wring every ounce of sweetness and clarity from the moment. He was present, every quiet breath filled with purpose and a pleasure so simple it was al- most painful to see. I live in a section of the country that is strongly conservative, Republican, and very supportive of the current administration. To oppose the war in Iraq in my town -- or to say anything critical regarding any aspect of this administration's policies or performance -- is about as close to blasphemy as you can get. Those of us who do, do so quietly. I'm angry that I am accused of a lack of patriotism by people who plant a flag in their front yard and park their SUV -- a vehicle that only accelerates our dependence on foreign oil -- in the drive next to it. I am amazed and appalled that they claim support of the men and women dying in Iraq for our "freedom," but acknowledge no connection between their decisions and lifestyle choices and the real reason for those men and women to be in harm's way. It's easy to profess patriotism and love of country from a stool at the local pub, fortified by a pint or two, when you aren't inconvenienced by sleeping in a sandy foxhole thousands of miles from family, friends, and everything familiar to you. It's easy to be patriotic when there's no chance CNN might startle you with the image of a series of flag-draped coffins being unloaded from the belly of a military transport plane because your president has ordered that those images not be publicly broadcast. George W. Bush is perfectly willing to stand on the deck of the USS Lincoln and be filmed and photographed with living GIs for broadcast on the evening news, but he has no interest in broadcasting their images once they've died for our country. "I HAD NO ANSWER FOR HIM" FROM: Sherri Davis Michael, I am a mother whose daughter just got out of the military. She was blessed in that she had just left Korea when her whole unit got orders to ship out for Iraq in August. Her fiance went in August. She recently got a call from the Reserves saying that her number is on their list to call should we need "BACK UP." Since she put in less than eight years, she still can be called in to duty at any time. I went to see your film. It confirmed everything I thought about him and his administration. I am so glad someone has finally come out and told the truth in a manner that will make everyone sit up and take notice! Michael, from all of the military Moms I want to thank you. When I saw you go up to Congress members and ask if they wanted their kids to go off to war, it was PRICELESS! The looks on their faces! I wanted to scream at them "YES, BUT IT'S OK FOR MY CHILD TO DEFEND YOU." My 15-year-old son summed it up best. He said, "Mom, if they tried to impeach President Clinton for lying about who he slept with, why aren't they impeaching Bush for all the LIES he told?" I HAD NO ANSWER FOR HIM! "My FATHER BEARS THE SCARS OF WAR" FROM: C. Harned Dear Mr. Moore, I am Left in a family of Rights and am always trying to get my point across, usually unsuccessfully. However, this Bush military "question" may be just the thing to trip them up. My point is that my father was a Vietnam vet, and he served his rime, got malaria, served some more, and came home. I am sure that this is a typical story. However, I am equally sure that my father suffered "fallouts" throughout his life, as many others did. I grew up with a man who was deeply disturbed with his role in the Vietnam conflict which made for, or contributed to, a rather dysfunctional family life. I watched my father eat leftovers from the fridge that were way past their prime so that he was not wasting food, and heaven forbid if I used a paper towel just to dry my hands in a time when his economic situation did not call for such extreme measures. My father spoke of the women and children in Vietnam begging for food at the gates and giving them what he could spare of his rations. He was never the same. And he heard and saw men, or shall I say boys, such as himself, crying for their mothers when a bomb hit a tent, and he came home unable to communicate to his family yet desperately needing their support and finding they were unable to give it. For who can assuage a conscience that underwent so many terrors and guilt? And my father was one of the "lucky ones"; he just called in the air strikes, he wasn't on the ground fighting. While my father, and many like him, bear the scars of being in a war, Bush gets time off during an election campaign, among other "leaves" from "action." If only the masses could be as fortunate as President Bush. It is utterly contemptible. I don't have a voice to push issues such as these, but you do, and I suggest that somebody get on the bandwagon and point these things out to the American people. Unfortunately, people only vote for an individual because of a few issues-make this one of them. And for God's sake, court the poor and lower classes, they are the ones truly affected (at least negatively) by all that Bush stands for. I'm willing to stand outside a welfare office and tell them what their options are. And how about some funding for carpools or other forms of transportation to get to those polling booths? Just brainstorming. "CARRYING A SIGN, 'SOLDIER AGAINST THE WAR"' FROM: Susan Neumann I am the grandmother of a 23-year-old soldier who joined the army when he was a senior in high school for the usual reason: to get a college education. So far he has not been educated in Bosnia for one year, South Korea for another year, and various U.S. bases. He currently is in New York, flies the Blackhawk helicopter, and is hoping to be discharged in June 2005, at his required 6-year term. Many of the soldiers he knows have been extended due to the "stop-gap" measure, and his roommate is on his way to Iraq now. He is totally against this unjust war, and has stood at several war protests, including New York City, carrying a sign, "Soldier Against the War." He does not appear in uniform at these protests. I wish every citizen was required to view your movie before they were allowed to vote. "WHAT KIND OF NAME IS 'HASSAN'?" FROM: Alicia Sulok My dad's name is Farouk Diab. He is a veteran of the U.S. Army, and he was a hero in the Korean War. This year while traveling to New Mexico, my father was stopped by airport security. The sad fact is that he was stopped not once but three times on separate occasions! He wasn't stopped because of his record or because of his status in this country. He has been a United States citizen ever since he fought for the U.S. in the Korean War. His only fault was he used his legal name of Farouk instead of Frank, which he usually goes by. Every time he told the security people he was an American and proud of it, but he also told them he was a Muslim who fought for the civil liberties that every American enjoys today. My father raised us to be proud of our American heritage and at the same time to love our religion as much as our country. My dad loved President Eisenhower and has voted Republican since 1950 when he could first vote. But he's voting for Kerry and casting a Democratic vote for the first time, thanks to this administration's racist policies and prejudice, which also includes a beating of my Uncle Allen Hassan, who is a Vietnam vet, U.S. Marine. Uncle Hassan actually volunteered for military service in 1964 and returned to duty as a medic in 1969. Recently, he was arrested when a state trooper asked him what kind of name "Hassan" is. When my uncle responded it was an Arabic name, the trooper pulled him forcefully out of the car and put him in a choke hold. My uncle, who was 66 at the time, felt his breathing was at jeopardy and pushed the officer aside. He woke up naked in a jail cell with 3 cracked ribs and a punctured lung. All of this because he was on his way to the emergency room, where he has been saving lives since 1973. He was speeding, but his crime was that his dad was born in Jerusalem in 1910. His father was a Muslim, and his last name was Hassan. Even he voted Republican. There are over 7 million Muslims in America and 90% are Republicans. I can guarantee one thing: Bush and his administration will not win the election. All the Muslims I know who are American are mortified at this Nazilike administration. May God bless you, Michael. You understand what believing in God is all about. It's about fighting for injustice whenever you see it, not just saying you love this country but standing up for what's right and speaking out against lies and ignorance. That's what makes a true believer in God and in this great country of ours. Let's keep it that way. God bless all of the righteous allover the world who want what Jesus, Moses, and Mohammed wanted: Justice for all! "WE SAT IN STUNNED SILENCE, UNABLE TO MOVE" FROM: Christine
Davila I have seen Fahrenheit 9111 twice, each time taking different people with me. I am writing to tell you about my first visit to see the movie. I went with my 20-year-old son (whose name is Michael) and his 19-year-old friend, who is a Fort Bragg soldier. I can only say that at the end of the movie all three of us sat in stunned silence unable to move. After a few minutes we walked in silence to the car, and as we approached our vehicle my son broke down sobbing in grief. He hugged his friend and they both cried, and my son apologized to his friend for a country that will be sending him into harm's way come this December, which is when he is scheduled to leave for Iraq. During the drive home we did not say much, but I could see my son's friend in the backseat deep in thought, his young eyes filled with hurt and concern. I did talk with both of them about using their greatest freedom, the freedom to vote. But our current leadership (or rather lack of) has left our young people with so much lack of trust. They lack trust in our ability to protect them, and they even lack trust in our electoral system. I do, however, believe that your brave movie has lifted them up and has given them the spark and energy to work toward making sure a change takes place in November. "THERE IS NO WAY I'M JOINING NOW" FROM: T.E. I took my 17-year-old daughter and her 18-year-old boyfriend to Fahrenheit 9/11 on Saturday, July 3, here in Lubbock, Texas. As we waited in line outside, we were laughing at the fact that some- one had vandalized the sign outside the theater advertising your movie. My daughter's boyfriend has been determined to join the military as soon as he graduated from high school this summer. I have been talking to him about this pathetic war, to no avail. The theater was so crowded that we had to sit across the theater from each other, so I couldn't gauge his response during the film. Needless to say, I was very anxious to see him afterward. As soon as we reached the outside door, he came bounding up to me and said, "You just saved my life, there is no way I'm joining now." I wanted to cry; I was so proud to have made a difference in his life by taking him to see your movie. Thank you for taking the heat for all of us who just want the truth. "MY BROTHER WOULD HAVE PREFERRED A QUICK DEATH" FROM: Annemarie
Wicks Michael, First of all, thank you for including those soldiers who've died in this "war" over in Iraq. My question for you, however, revolves around the military suicides, both those in combat and by those soldiers who kill themselves after coming back to the States due to post-traumatic stress disorder. My brother, Marine SGT Boyd W "Chip" Wicks Jr., a member of the one out of five Marines who saw some of the first fighting in Baghdad, was honorably discharged in October of 2003 after serving his 4 years. He suffered from extreme PTSD, but refused to get help even after several attempts by his friends and family to get him counseling. He told my mom three days before he died that the commandante who spoke to them upon leaving Iraq and arriving in Kuwait told them not to go home acting like crybabies and complaining of PTSD -- that they were to go to a bar and "tie one on" with friends and that's how they were to deal with the horrors they endured. On February 23, 2004, my brother hung himself in his apartment. He was found after his heart had already stopped; he was revived, and was in a trauma ICU at Christiana Hospital in Wilmington, Delaware. After being told he would never regain brain function enough to survive off the vent, we, as a family, decided to terminally wean him. My brother was full of life and touched a lot of lives, as is shown by the 600+ folks who came to his viewing. His unit was awarded a Presidential Honor and he was awarded an individual presidential medal for heroism for acts during the Iraq War. Surely, these soldiers who've committed suicide due to the emotional hell that this war has caused are just as much casualties as those who've died from bombs or gunshot wounds. I think my brother would've preferred a quick death due to a bullet to the heart than the emotional hell that he endured for months after leaving the frontlines. Thank you, |