Iraq Veterans Against the War

I want to thank Sage for bringing to my attention the organization Iraq Veterans Against the War in one of her comments on this blog. I'm posting the group's stated ten reasons for opposing the war. Why? Because lots of yellow ribbon stickers on SUVs all over town tell me to support our troops. You can explore the group's website further at www.ivaw.org if you want to support our troops by listening to what some of them have to say.

Q: Why are veterans, active duty, and National Guard men and women opposed to the war in Iraq?

A: Here are 10 reasons we oppose this war:

1. The Iraq war is based on lies and deception. The Bush Administration planned for an attack against Iraq before September 11th, 2001. They used the false pretense of an imminent nuclear, chemical and biological weapons threat to deceive Congress into rationalizing this unnecessary conflict. They hide our casualties of war by banning the filming of our fallen's caskets when they arrive home, and when they refuse to allow the media into Walter Reed Hospital and other Veterans Administration facilities which are overflowing with maimed and traumatized veterans.For further reading: www.motherjones.com/bush_war_timeline/index.html

2. The Iraq war violates international law. The United States assaulted and occupied Iraq without the consent of the UN Security Council. In doing so they violated the same body of laws they accused Iraq of breaching.For further reading:http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/imt/proc/imtconst.htmhttp://www.westpointgradsagainstthewar.org/
3. Corporate profiteering is driving the war in Iraq. From privately contracted soldiers and linguists to no-bid reconstruction contracts and multinational oil negotiations, those who benefit the most in this conflict are those who suffer the least. The United States has chosen a path that directly contradicts President Eisenhower's farewell warning regarding the military industrial complex. As long as those in power are not held accountable, they will continue... For further reading:http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0714-01.htmhttp://www.publicintegrity.org/wow/

4. Overwhelming civilian casualties are a daily occurrence in Iraq. Despite attempts in training and technological sophistication, large-scale civilian death is both a direct and indirect result of United States aggression in Iraq. Even the most conservative estimates of Iraqi civilian deaths number over 100,000. Currently over 100 civilians die every day in Baghdad alone.For further reading: http://www.nomorevictims.org/http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1338749,00.htmlhttp://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F70A1EF73C5A0C758DDDA10894DE404482

5. Soldiers have the right to refuse illegal war. All in service to this country swear an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, both foreign and domestic. However, they are prosecuted if they object to serve in a war they see as illegal under our Constitution. As such, our brothers and sisters are paying the price for political incompetence, forced to fight in a war instead of having been sufficiently trained to carry out the task of nation-building.For further reading:http://thankyoult.live.radicaldesigns.org/content/view/172/http://youtube.com/watch?v=Qa6ZHYcG_EMhttp://youtube.com/watch?v=1dAXQeH7y9g&mode=related&search=http://girights.objector.org

6. Service members are facing serious health consequences due to our Government's negligence. Many of our troops have already been deployed to Iraq for two, three, and even four tours of duty averaging eleven months each. Combat stress, exhaustion, and bearing witness to the horrors of war contribute to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a serious set of symptoms that can lead to depression, illness, violent behavior, and even suicide. Additionally, depleted uranium, Lariam, insufficient body armor and infectious diseases are just a few of the health risks which accompany an immorally planned and incompetently executed war. Finally, upon a soldier's release, the Veterans Administration is far too under-funded to fully deal with the magnitude of veterans in need.For further reading:http://www.ncptsd.va.gov/http://www.vets4vets.us/

7. The war in Iraq is tearing our families apart. The use of stop-loss on active duty troops and the unnecessarily lengthy and repeat active tours by Guard and Reserve troops place enough strain on our military families, even without being forced to sacrifice their loved ones for this ongoing political experiment in the Middle East.For further reading: http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,FL_loss_092704,00.html

8. The Iraq war is robbing us of funding sorely needed here at home.$5.8 billion per month is spent on a war which could have aided the victims of Hurricane Katrina, gone to impoverished schools, the construction of hospitals and health care systems, tax cut initiatives, and a host of domestic programs that have all been gutted in the wake of the war in Iraq. For further reading:http://www.costofwar.com

9. The war dehumanizes Iraqis and denies them their right to self-determination.Iraqis are subjected to humiliating and violent checkpoints, searches and home raids on a daily basis. The current Iraqi government is in place solely because of the U.S. military occupation. The Iraqi government doesn’t have the popular support of the Iraqi people, nor does it have power or authority. For many Iraqis the current government is seen as a puppet regime for the U.S. occupation. It is undemocratic and in violation of Iraq’s own right to self-governance. For further reading:http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com/

10. Our military is being exhausted by repeated deployments, involuntary extensions, and activations of the Reserve and National Guard.The majority of troops in Iraq right now are there for at least their second tour. Deployments to Iraq are becoming longer and many of our service members are facing involuntary extensions and recalls to active duty. Longstanding policies to limit the duration and frequency of deployments for our part-time National Guard troops are now being overturned to allow for repeated, back-to-back tours in Iraq. These repeated, extended combat tours are taking a huge toll on our troops, their families, and their communities.For further reading: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-military12jan12,0,7198945.story?coll=la-home-headlines

Free Speech and Supporting Our Troops

So I may be the last to know about this particular free speech and theater story. In March, the principal of Wilton High School in Connecticut banned the performance of "Voices in Conflict," a play put together by senior drama students and directed by their teacher that uses real words from the blogs, books, letters, and interviews of American Iraq-war soldiers. In blocking the performance, the principal in effect also suppressed the voices of the American soldiers themselves. He deemed the themes and material "too controversial." But isn't dialogue and awareness what education is supposed to foster and encourage? I guess not if the truth hurts some people's feelings. I didn't know the First Amendment included that qualification.

In any event, the suppressed play about the Iraq war finally took the stage at the Vineyard Theatre in Manhattan on June 9 and at the Culture Project on June 10. The final performance will be at the Public Theatre on June 15. The official website http://voicesinconflict.com/ says these will be the last public performances. Although perhaps there's some good reason for that, it seems to me that encouraging young thespians to dramatically explore this controversial issue at the same time they honor the voices of actual soldiers on stage is a concrete, creative and constructive way to support our troops.

Congratulations, Jennie and Derek!

I think this is what true love looks like! I'm so happy for my friend Jennie, who was married in Italy last month to her longtime love, Derek. Excuse me, but how much more romantic can you get? Congratulations to both!

Jennie is a true-blue friend, one of the warmest-hearted strong-loving women I know. I met her ten years ago when we were in the trenches together at the Jeffer, Mangels law firm and found that we shared writing aspirations. She gave me my copy of "The Writer's Way" by Julia Cameron, with the inscription: "Somewhere inside you is a brilliant story that only you can tell. I hope this book helps bring that story out of you and into the light." That right there tells you what a great friend she is. And she's super creative - like, organizing gals-only champagne-driven ornament-decorating parties every holiday season in the charming Encino home she shares with Derek and two adorable canines, Babe and Rufus. Like me, she's a proud native-born San Fernando Valley Girl, and you can explore her blog here: www.valleygirly.blogspot.com.

The Hoosegow for Paris

On the day that Paris Hilton was sent back to jail, the Los Angeles bureau chief of the New York Times breezed out of her office and announced, "Well, hell froze over today!" I looked up from my work at the front desk and asked, "What do you mean?" My so-called boss lingered just long enough to tell me, with her trademark sneer, that the plight of the pampered, vapid heiress would be on page 1 of Saturday's paper.

Right. In the old days, hell would freeze over before the New York Times put a story about a sobbing society girl caught in the maw of the Los Angeles County legal system on the front page. About how she was taken in handcuffs from her Hollywood Hills mansion and deposited unceremoniously in the back of a black and white police cruiser. About how the first unbeauteous moment of her life was captured and delivered to the globe by one of a swarm of photographers snapping shots from around the car when she turned her blotchy-red face towards the world of freedom she was leaving behind. Gone forever is the image of Paris Hilton as a sublimely entitled, glamorous goddess for whom the rules don't apply.

I've paid scant attention to Ms. Hilton, who appears puzzlingly one-dimensional and frankly vacant. I couldn't comprehend the fuss over this flimsy creature. My sister Carolyn actually cancelled her Vanity Fair subscription when they put her on the cover. "Who is she?" Carolyn exclaimed. "She's nothing! She hasn't done anything! All she is is rich. It's despicable."

One day, I ran into her on Robertson Boulevard in Beverly Hills. Actually, what I saw at first was a gaggle of photographers surrounding a blonde head that bobbed as it crossed the street amidst the flashing bulbs. "Who is that?" I asked an ogling bystander. "Paris Hilton!" Of course. Emerging from Kitson or some such place. If I scanned a future copy of InStyle Magazine I'd likely catch a photo of that moment along with a blurb about the $350 t-shirt Paris had purchased that day. I might even see myself bug-eyed in the background.

Except I wasn't bug-eyed. I stood pensively as she passed within six feet of me. I was struck by an earthy loveliness that contrasted with her smug glam shots, and sensed a sweetness in her aura. Okay, maybe that's just the sweetness of having so much money that you don't have to make a living working for some abusive bullying asshole. But a photographer recently told me that Paris actually is kinda sweet. He said he'd covered a runway show that month, and Paris was the only model who came out afterwards and politely thanked everyone who had participated. "But don't get me wrong," he hastily added, not wanting to seem like an admirer, "I know there's really no excuse for her reckless arrogance!"

Now that she's been ordered back to jail, she will learn some lessons about true character in the absence of the trappings of wealth. All the crying for her mommy and all of her stratospheric privilege could not protect her from the consequences of the indifference she exhibited in the wake of her DUI conviction.

I can't gloat too much about it, though. In fact, I can't gloat at all. I've been there - there in one of those police cars, handcuffed. It ain't fun. It's humiliating. Unlike Paris, however, I got my hysteria out of the way during the arrest and pulled myself together in the long aftermath because I knew the rules applied to me, and like the good girl scout I'd always been, I obeyed them.

Paris did not get hysterical during her arrest or during her probationary period because she didn't think the rules applied to her. Or maybe her publicist forgot to explain. She didn't think she'd have to spend any cold nights in jail. They really do only give you three blankets (actually, in my case, just one, but fortunately the big suede jacket I was wearing the night I was arrested came in handy). I didn't have to wear an orange jumpsuit like Paris does now, because I took every aspect of the DUI legal process seriously and therefore wasn't ever sentenced to punitive jail time. I did not drink. I did not ever once drive in the six month probation period. I signed up immediately for the "drunk class" education courses and spent three hours every Monday night for three months being scolded by a big black guy named Dan. And I went to the mandatory AA meetings.

Paris did none of these things. No pun intended, but I sure hope she gets with the program. Johnny Law takes this DUI shit seriously. There's lots of money being made by those drunk education schools and from fees by the courts. Most seriously, folks die on the road every day because of drunk drivers. When I think about how much I went through and how much it all cost - thousands of dollars may mean nothing to Paris, but for me it meant taking on a second job to get through the ordeal - I'd frankly be really pissed off if she didn't have to get with the program just like I did.

At the same time, I do think the judge is being overly harsh (making a reverse example of her, if you will) and that Sheriff Baca likely pulled her out of jail for good reason (most likely hysterical claustrophobia). But Paris's mommy hasn't helped matters much and that didn't sit well with the judge. Kathy Hilton was there snickering in the courtroom at Paris's original hearing every time the judge mentioned the possibility of jail time. She was snickering because - come on, no judge was really going to send a Hilton to jail. And then when Paris was sentenced, how mommy dearest screamed "No!!!" How reality dawned with a big ugly boom in that bimbo billionaire brain of hers. And now her daughter is paying. Not that it's entirely mommy's fault, of course, but the apple probably didn't fall far from the tree.

So good luck, Paris. It's a real tough way to learn a lesson. I found a way to transform my shame into one of the best turning points of my life. I hope you will too, girl.