While President Barack Obama tours the Southland, he’ll be bombarded with requests and pleas related to many things, including fixing the economy, healthcare, poverty and education.
It’s ironic that the day after the Commander in Chief’s visit to Jay Leno’s “Tonight Show” is the sixth birthday of the Iraq War. While Obama is planning on pulling out most U.S. troops by fall 2010, we want this to be the last such milestone.
A seventh birthday in Baghdad is unacceptable. It’s already cost us too much, and to let these losses to the American psyche continue is irresponsible and irreconcilable.
As of this writing, 4,176 U.S. military personnel have been named dead and another eight were reported dead. More than 30,000 have been wounded. Depending on the source, more than a million Iraqi citizens have died and the number of wounded or displaced is unquantifiable.
Thousands of military troops are returning home with severe residual effects from serving in Iraq, including thousands of cases of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
The money spent on the occupation could have stabilized our economy. Although a chunk of it is earmarked for Afghanistan, the Department of Defense budget is $515 billion for this year alone; up 7 percent from 2008. Defense spending will climb, including maintaining our nuclear arsenal, to more than $700 billion next year.
Tally in the ongoing military debt for past wars, veteran’s benefits — and other peripheral costs attached to the War on Terror — and a more realistic estimate is approximately $1.4 trillion, according to multiple media sources. That’s approximately half of the nation’s current budget.
The U.S. leads the rest of the world in military spending, with more than 700 military installations throughout the world. Our second competitor is France, which spends approximately $440 billion per year less than our current defense budget.
The government estimates that our military spending since the start of the Iraq War averages about $1,500 per living U.S. person, as compared to around $50 per person the Chinese spend on military.
Rather than leaning his ear toward politically motivated military advisers that seem intent on staying in Iraq indefinitely, especially when budget discussions roll around in the Senate, Obama could listen to groups that want our young people home — now.
It wasn’t the military that got us into Iraq, as groups like Military Families Speak Out — a group advocating immediate troop withdrawal — points out.
Members of MFSO, many of whom are retired military, have spouses, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, or nieces and nephews in Iraq, understand fully the direct consequences of war; especially an illegal conflict built on lies.
Many peace organizations would like to see the politicians and military advisers, such as former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, tried for war crimes for the lies used to justify “Shock and Awe.”
We stand by our troops and their family members in demanding that next year or the year after is too ambiguous of a promise. Hopefully when Obama jokes around with Leno tonight, he’ll know that most Californians don’t see humor in war. We want out of Iraq now — before another birthday candle blows up in our faces.
We felt at peace on the Peace Train and in L.A. but we know there is much work to be done. If your sibling or cousin, husband or wife, friend or neighbor is serving in Iraq, or if somebody you know has been there, stand up for their rights and demand we get out of hell now!!!!
Well done. I hope peace is on all of our minds.
I rode the Peace Train from Long Beach to L.A. today and it was inspiring to see so many people opposed to war. Bring them home now. We need to pressure our political leaders into using diplomacy and tact as a first strategy, instead sending military as a first resort
The protest in L.A. was sad. So many people that want this to end. We have to push our president and congress harder to bring them home.
I don’t even drive, but when I do I don’t want it to be because my classmate was killed.
Now is later than never!
Thank you for taking a stand, 49er staff. Too frequently, we accept that because it is planned to be over in a year or two that our young people are dying. This war shoulld have never been allowed by our Congress. We need our people out now!!!!!!!!!!!!
The marches and demonstrations are always impressive, but they don’t express the widespread views of America. Democracy must spread to give us all equal footing in the world.
But what about the Iraqis who will fall prey to more bloodshed when the jihad erupt as we withdraw?
Thank you for providing the youth voice in our proclamation, “End the War Now!”
This is still an emotional sore spot with my family. My nephew died during his third tour in Iraq, and we find it irresponsible that the military calls it a “tour.” Who can replace the promising young life lost on a promise of a democracy that the people of Iraq don’t want; an American form of democracy? We have to realize that democracy in the Middle East is not defined the same as it is as per the Declaration of Independence. Take a step back and pull our troops out of Iraq, now.
Tell Barack now is better than later. Write to your Senate reps and tell them longer involvement is unacceptable
It’s time to ween Iraqis off of dependence on the U.S. It was the weapons of mass destruction and Saddam Hussein that was their major threats when politicians lied us into this war. The WMDs never materialized, Hussein was decapitated and the same politicians are still influential in keeping us there. WAKE THE HELL UP AMERICA!!! Out Now!
Happy Birthday! How many more bloody victims will we allow to pay the price for our thirst for oil? One more is too many.
NOW!!!!! Not next year or the year after. It’s time to end this before any more Americans die.