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My cousin died in Kabul

Tuesday, February 6 at 11:38 AM

This Speakout has not been edited

By Cristi A. Smith, Evergreen

I found out I lost my cousin tonight. He was in Kabul to help with building infrastructure. He wrote a letter to my relatives before Christmas and I got this message by word of mouth. Brian said that their group was to build a water system (this was only one example I heard of) for the community in Iraq. The Iraqi politicians vetoed the water system and opted for the Americans to pave the roads only in front of their personal homes. No help to the community - just a benefit to those counsel members. Brian died yesterday morning in a meeting. You can read it in today’s paper. I know I didn’t because it makes me sick and overwhelmed with the inability to be able to do not a damn thing about it and I didn’t even know it was Brian at the time. He was in a meeting in Kabul (again there to help build the infrastructure to HELP the Iraqi people) when “insurgents” broke through the roof and killed he and others. I don’t normally voice my opinions however I’m sick, angry, bothered and uncomfortable. My feelings about war started when I was a child and I was sick with worry about my brother who might have to go to Vietnam to fight. I was in third grade. I saw the pictures every night on TV. I was terrified. I knew my brother might go (his draft number was chosen) and if he didn’t die, he would come back maimed in his head if not in his body. I was so young, but I knew it in my heart. My brother went to college. I felt relief. I loved him sooo much. I saw day after day the new tragedies. I hated it.

Today, I see a president who at times has poor proper English and who never went to war. I see he was fortunate by not going to active combat. I’ve seen all the other politicians who claim they have been in war, or they have a better idea, but yet I don’t see any plan to make a better withdrawal, or assistance - make your choice. I don’t have any good answers at this point. I see the party on the other side of the isle complain that we need out - its wrong - blah blah blah - no firm plan on how to retract without hurting innocents trapped in that area (oh by the way, those are the ones who had NO say so on the water system they failed to get because the local Iraqi politicians had a personal agenda). I see all the stories in the newspapers and media that turn each night into a power play between Democrats and Republicans. Our politics are pathetic. Each and every issue becomes a stepping stone, or maybe just a stone to throw, so the next politician can get a step up into the position they want. You can’t tell me I am the only one that is tired of this bad behavior and the nightly stars that combat each petty statement that never get to a real point. Thank God that there is something to keep Ann Coulter busy.

Am I giving too much credit by saying and believing there are some pretty intelligent folks out their to focus their energy into tolerance, solutions, compromise instead of useless bickering to gain political advantage?

I personally think that anyone who had anything to do with 9/11 and the planning of that horrific attack after proper court proceeding should be killed - immediately and without mercy, without drama, without flamboyance. Not that this kind of violence solves anything, but it does say, DON’T SCREW AROUND WITH US - THERE ARE LIMITS TO YOUR FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION IN VIOLENCE. (By the way, congratulations for keeping Muslim women in repression with their nice burkas and mandatory face covering because that culture appears to be pretty up tight to me. Nice to know people who visit the middle eastern country of Saudi must keep a closer eye on their young boys - not the young women. I heard that from a personal experience from folks stationed in Saudi. Nice to know the wealthy of Saudi (or Iran, Iraq, etc.) are not doing anything apparent to help the situation in Iraq - just watchin their money grow and sending their wealthy children to the US to benefit from our education system). Now that doesn’t solve the mindset of the sick folk who think killing Americans, or anyone else that draws a comic or disagrees with their political or religious views, is the thing to do. By the way, my personal opinion is to drop kick Ward Churchill right in the middle of the insurgents personal tent campground and let him explain how much percentage of American Indian that he has in his blood lines and see what good his stories (chicken pox in blankets- which are lies) will do. By the way, Ward ought to get together with some of the delusional in Iran who think that the death camps of Auschwitz and the like never happened. OOH, do you think this chick is angry - damn straight I am. I am also speaking my mind, which probably won’t be printed but is much more mainstream than anyone would like to admit.

We as Americans live in one of the best cultures in the world. There are others as well, and I don’t think ANY of us want it blown to bits. It has its problems, it has its delusional folk who are racists, die hard Democrats, Republicans, crazy manic one sided, small minded Christians, Muslims, Jews, (you may insert gay, straight or whatever). Isn’t that wonderful, that the agreement was we all had a place we speak our minds within reason of not harming another? And what of these angry hostile folks who think because the Christian culture has caused terrible wars, repression and misery. I would say they are historically correct. Wars have been cause by all kinds of people who have claimed their brand of believing in God is the correct one, the only one, the right one. It seems to me that there are so many people that do not learn from the lessons of history, or perhaps don’t pay attention to it. If more folks of all cultures would just stick with what the original message of acceptance, kindness and tolerance is and not insist their brand of religion is so much more correct and rightous than (fill in the blank), this little world would be in a much better place, and we wouldn’t necessarily all have to eat tofu together if we didn’t want to. TOLERANCE. Read it again. What does it mean. Do we EVER learn ANYTHING? So lets say if you are a radical Muslim (you may replace this word with Christian, or what every you like) and you believe so many wrongs have been done by people of the “other” belief, that give you a “God given right” to take vengeance on people you NEVER met, people who may not believe in harming another belief, or maybe they do, just because? That is a justification? I don’t think so.

Does ANY of this ring true with ANYONE else? I wasn’t raised with Brian, but I heard many updates and information from my Aunt and Uncle in another state. He was a great person with a wife and two beautiful little kids. Tonight I cried and cried and cried. Not just for Brian.

Cristi Smith Evergreen, Colorado and glad to be here, thankful all of the good things I have in my life

READER COMMENTS

Uhh, Kabul is in Afghanistan.

Posted by Paul on February 8, 2007 02:55 PM