Sacrificing Our Pawns

Let us not forget...





Troops in Iraq - Total 173,685, including 162,000 from the US, 5,500 from the UK, 1,200 from South Korea and 4,985 from all other nations

3,742 US Soldiers Killed, 27,767 Seriously Wounded (total excludes psychological injuries)

30% of US troops develop serious mental health problems within 3 to 4 months of returning home

Statistics from September, 2007

I was watching the intense grilling of General Petraeus. Meaty jowled politicians rattled off rhetorical jab after rhetorical jab at the other party, poorly disguising the blows as inquisition.

I couldn't seem to get out of my head the image of 19 year olds, fighting for their lives and our freedom, in a hot and hostile desert. Kids dying, in a region that for the most part resents their presence, while these stuffed suits sit back in D.C. using them as statistical leverage one way or the other to fuel their own agenda.

I don't even pretend to take a side, left or right, elephant or a$$. But good grief if these soldiers - heroes - are going to be "over seas" then let's quit positioning for the next election and give them the tools and numbers they need to finish the job. If not then bring them home. These aren't ceramic pawns in some twisted game of Battle Chess, they are people - Fathers, Mothers, Sisters, Brothers, Sons and Daughters.