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Join With Me, by Amy Graham, Gold Star Families for Peace

July 26, 2005 SEND THIS PAGE TO A FRIEND
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Here is an impassioned plea from a soldier's mother...

Join With Me

Help me so that no more of America's sons and daughters get killed for an illegal and immoral war.

A BUZZFLASH GUEST CONTRIBUTION
by Amy Branham, Gold Star Families for Peace

My only son and first-born child, Sgt. Jeremy R. Smith, believed that the war in Iraq was a just war. He believed that his Commander in Chief was correct in sending American soldiers into another land to search for WMD's, terrorists, and to help the Iraqi people have a better life. Jeremy believed these things with all his heart, as so many other soldiers do. His U.S. Army Reserve unit was activated in November 2003 and by February 2004 they were on their way to Iraq. Unfortunately, Jeremy died in a car accident outside of Ft. Hood five days before he was due to leave with his unit.

No mother should ever have to bury her child. But I did it, and it was the hardest thing I have ever had to do in my life. I think the rest of my life will be a cakewalk compared to planning my son's funeral and saying a final goodbye to his body. I knew that the last time I saw Jeremy alive that I would not ever see him again. I tried so hard to remain composed and strong for my son even though I was scared out of my mind for him. For two decades I had done my best to keep my son out of harm's way, but that night I sent him to war with a bear hug that I never wanted to end. I bathed him in my tears as I said goodbye to my brave, strong, handsome soldier.

You will not find my son's name on any official list of casualties of war because he was not killed in action or as a result of injuries received in battle. He died before leaving the States. Jeremy is a casualty of war, however, because he would never have been on that road outside of Ft. Hood, never would have been in that car and he wouldn't have hit the trees that ended his life if he hadn't been called to active duty. Instead, he would have been finishing school at ITT where he was a good student.

Now, I am no different than any other military mom, dad, husband, wife, son or daughter. We all put on that face when we send our loved ones off to war. We want to be strong for them even though we are terrified. We do our best to support them, even though we want to take them to a safe place where they will not be harmed. I am just a humble mom with a broken heart who is damn mad at her President, the politicians in Washington and even my local politicians.

For the past several months I have been searching and searching in Texas for other people who, like me, are against the war in Iraq and want to bring America's sons and daughters home. It has been a very frustrating search for me, but I have found a few people in Houston that are supportive and encouraging. We live in the heartland of Bush/Republican country, so speaking against this war, President Bush and all the other atrocities that are going on in our Republican-led government today can be downright dangerous.

Texas has always been a very patriotic state filled with individuals who are gung-ho to go to war. Our children have been raised to fight against injustice, to help those who are weaker than us, and to serve in the military. Many here have a good ole boy mentality that "takes care of their own". This is very difficult to fight against.

Those of us who speak out run the risk of being called traitors to our country and of being seen as being unpatriotic. I have to say that I absolutely disagree with people who call us that. We are very patriotic citizens. We love our country and all that She has had to offer. We are mad that our politicians are abusing the political system for their own personal gain.

According to Webster's Dictionary, the definition of a traitor is: "1. one who betrays another's trust or is false to an obligation or duty. 2. One who commits treason". The definition of treason is: "1. the betrayal of trust: treachery. 2. the offense of attempting by overt acts to overthrow the government of the state to which the offender owes allegiance or to kill or personally injure the sovereign or the sovereign's family."

I am no traitor. What I have done and will continue to do is to exercise my Freedom of Speech as I talk about how I feel about this illegal war. To do otherwise would be to become a complacent citizen, something I do not want to be. The truth is George Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Condi Rice, Colin Powell and so many others betrayed the trust of my son and the rest of the country. If I do not speak my truths and share my story, the story of Jeremy and over 1780 American sons and daughters, I would be doing them a great dishonor.

Every day I hear stories from other Americans that will break your heart. These stories are about their beloved soldiers who are serving in Iraq and stories about loved ones who have died. Some of these stories give me nightmares and I can't stop thinking about them. They make me want to scream from at the top of my lungs about the unfairness of it all.

Please, I ask of all of you to help me so that no more of America's sons and daughters get killed for an illegal and immoral war. Do not let our children be cannon fodder for the lies of Bush & Co. Tonight there will be yet another knock on the door in some neighborhood in America by the messenger of death. Another family's heart will be broken, never to be healed.

Join with me to bring a stop to this. Join with me to end this war.

Amy Branham
Houston, TX
Mother of Sgt. Jeremy R. Smith
Gold Star Families for Peace

A BUZZFLASH GUEST CONTRIBUTION

posted by Annamarie at 11:37 PM