5 years we've been at War in Iraq (although Congress has never declared war). The website Iraq body count estimates at least 82,249 civilians have been killed, 3992 U.S. Military fatalities and one bad dictator dead.
http://www.nationalpriorities.org/costofwar_home shows how much money is being spent each second with a total of 503 BILLION having been spent already. Then the sight can break the amount down to what that means for Arizona, Phoenix, school systems, health care, etc. It's quite sobering. I don't think we can reasonably expect to keep running up this bill and not see an increase in taxes or drastic reduction of services. The next president whoever he/she might be has a big mess to clean up. And I hope it does get cleaned up, so our kids don't get the bill.
I haven't heard much about this being the 5 year mark, just thought I'd call your attention to these websites to keep us informed. I don't know what the right thing to do is, but I can't believe we don't have better ways we could spend that money.
Lovemy4 is a discussion leader for North Central Phoenix, tired mother of 4 great kids and wife to one great husband.
I'm plenty angry on this
I'm plenty angry on this anniversary. About now (1:12 am our time), there are a bunch of American kids in the Middle East rolling out of their cots and bunks and going to the head to (if they're lucky, shower), wash, shave, brush their teeth, dress in the uniform of the day, and, if they're not among the privileged to be issued real body armour, go out in a flak jacket and helmut. They have no clue whether they're going to have to fire a weapon, or if someone is going to fire a weapon at them.
Where are their military leaders? Where is their commander-in-chief? They're sleeping in secure stateside homes provided by the American people, with security details. Their offices get word of casualties, and, depending on who died when and how, the parents get a call from the appropriate politician. And then, all the politicians go about their days.
I just don't get how we can be "at war" while, frankly, most Americans don't behave as if we are.
lovemy4, I'm with you. I want to tell the 19 year-old that s/he doesn't need a gun anymore, and that we'll figure out a way for him/her to pick up where s/he left off to serve our country.
I guess that, in the spirit of AZ Moms, we ought to just support the kids.
I remember when this started
I remember when this started and I cried. I told my husband regardless of what happens, people will die and that makes me very sad.
KarilouMomof2 is a discussion leader for arizonamoms.com living in Tempe. Her daughters are 9 and 6.
My son is in first grade and
My son is in first grade and he brings a lot of books home about army, tanks, airplanes, etc.. It is weird to read about the war on terrorism. If has been going on 5 years now but it feels like just yesterday it started. I almost feel like I am lying to my son when he asks why we are fighting. I explain to him because we are tyring to get the bad guys, but the real reasons the war is still going on are hard to explain to a 6 year old. What does everyone else tell there kids? I try not to let my personal feelings get in the way when I explain war and politics to our kids.
I hate the war to... I
I hate the war to... I support our men and women fighting and I support our country and our government which includes the President.. It breaks my heart to think of the Americans overseas fighting. I want them home now to but, facts are that war is expensive and we had to protect our future of freedom by going after what we thought was a country that harbored terrorism and was developing WMD's... We were wrong about the WMD's. So maybe we should not have gone to war but, we did and now we are stuck in a situation that we cannot just walk away from. I do think that the next person in office has a lot to deal with and I feel for them. I also think that GB has had a lot to deal with being responsible for having to make the decision to go to war after 9/11. Let's face it after 9/11 we wanted heads to roll, we wanted the people responsible and we wanted them yesterday. I don't think anyone could have handled what GB did any better with the information that he was given. In he days after 9/11 you could see the weight of the world on his face and he is only human. He handled those days with grace and compassion and brought our country together as a whole. Not divided into red or blues. I am sad to see all the hate that he gets. That hate needs to be focused on the terrorists and people that support terrorism.
Elizabeth is a discussion leader for arizonamoms she writes about everything from her needing mommy advice to crazy and silly stuff that happens. She lives in the West Valley with her husband and 3 children, Joshua 12, Brooke 2 and Mason 10 months
I think you are very
I think you are very forgiving and a little forgetful. Our President, promised to wait until the inspectors checked to see if there were WMD's when they didn't find any, he stopped them from looking further, pulled them out and invaded. He also said we had intelligence to support the existance of WMD's. That had to be a lie, if we had credible intelligence we would have found WMDs. "We" weren't wrong about MWD's, HE and his administration were wrong. And it was a deadly, expensive, irresponsible, unforgivable mistake.
Also, 9/11 has NOTHING to do with Iraq. NOTHING. After 9/11 many wanted heads to roll and we invaded Afgahnistan, which had connections - terrorist training camps, etc. which we blew to bits. I think that had a very tangible and direct connection to 9/11.
Iraq was just close by and we were already there and they had a bad dictator and don't forget they have oil (which we can recover to pay for the war - remember that promise??) and we didn't really win the first Gulf War, didn't we want to finish the job???
It seems to me that George Bush was never qualified to be the president of a super power. He doesn't read, has no mind for or interest in history, isn't a good speaker, gets bored with details. To hate him is foolish, like hating a special ed. child for failing a test, but frustration is absolutely understandable.
I just pray we aren't in this for another 100 years as McCain predicts. That's 10 Trillion Dollars... Trillion with a T, and our children's debt mounts and the money disappears into the middle east for what noble cause????
Lovemy4 is a discussion leader for North Central Phoenix, tired mother of 4 great kids and wife to one great husband.
I will NEVER understand war
I will NEVER understand war and don't want to.
This is a touchy subject......I am very angry!
cybermom :)
Lovemy4....I am soooo with
Lovemy4....I am soooo with you on this!
I know you live close to me....did you see the protesters yesturday at 16th and Bethany? I am not sure if it was for or against.....I was trying not to hit one of the protesters in the cross walk.....
Anyways my ten year old son started talking to me about his feelings.....and he is sadden, even though he doesn't fully understand.Then he looked at me and said are you gonna cry..I said no, but I am very sad too.
I didn't see Bethany but did
I didn't see Bethany but did see over at 16th and Missouri because this is where McCain's office. Rather there than 24th and Camelback whenever a politican came in town to stay at the Biltmore Resort or have dinner there or whatever...drove me insane! Regardless who they were rooting or against....Once when Bush was here, a 2 mins drive ended up almost an hour drive to home there with all the cops all over the place and my ice cream melted in the back of the SUV....
H~
My husband drove by McCain's
My husband drove by McCain's office and said there were about 200 people there, the gathering was to commemorate the 5th Anniversary and support the troops by trying to end the war. Maybe they ran out of space and some people went up to 16th and Bethany Home??
Or maybe there was a counter demonstration?? I wanted to check it out, but I really can't take the 2 year olds out into crowds alone yet. Hopefully we'll have a solution by the time they are out of "terrible twos" but I doubt it.
Lovemy4 is a discussion leader for North Central Phoenix, tired mother of 4 great kids and wife to one great husband.
Sorry, you are right about
Sorry, you are right about the street. I was wrong.I was to busy trying not to hit anyone to even notice where I was... :)
I drove by there around 5:30 pm and there was a good crowd!