On June 28th, Former Army Private First Class Joseph Dwyer died of an accidental overdose after an excruciating battle with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. You may remember him from a picture taken days after United States forces invaded Iraq in 2003. AP writers
As the sun rose along the Euphrates River on March 25, 2003, Army Times photographer Warren Zinn watched as a man ran toward the soldiers carrying a white flag and his injured 4-year-old son. Zinn clicked away as Dwyer darted out to meet the man, then returned, cradling the boy in his arms. "
The photo was published all across the United States and Dwyer was celebrated as a hero. But just like may other heroes coming home from Iraq, Dwyer's battle continued for five more years. I encourage you to read every word of the story before even finishing this post. We owe brave men like Joseph Dwyer that much. Every American should be required to understand the true and complete destruction of the Iraq War.
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This mindless, catastrophic, unjust, and disgusting war is going to continue to claim lives long after the future President Obama brings it to an end twenty months from now. We must...let me repeat that...WE MUST learn from the horrible regime of George Bush and Dick Cheney. We cannot allow this to ever happen again. Ever. America's amnesia is unacceptable. We owe it to Joseph Dwyer. We owe it to every single casualty of this war. We owe it to all of the soldiers fighting while we sleep in our air conditioned homes at night. We owe it to the soldiers at home waiting to be sent back. We owe it to the millions of veterans suffering from the physical and emotional damage irresponsibly inflicted upon them. We owe it to our children and grandchildren to make sure this NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN.
We have to learn from this mistake. Read each story about a veteran struggling to adjust to civilian life. Read about the heroes who have lost their lives and those still serving. Read about the mistakes that brought us to this point and think about it for a while. Then act. Speak out. Call you Senator and Congressman. Sign Petitions. Participate in protests. Vote in November.
With all of the focus lately on the economy and people complaining about filling up their wasteful SUVs with $4 a gallon gas, the war and those devastated by it has shoved to page 2. The everyday American has not paid his and her debt to the world for voting George W. Bush and Dick Cheney into office so they could commit this crime. We all must pay this debt. Go out and get started. We have a war to end and an election to win.
