My son has been serving in Iraq since October with the 189th Transportation Company Nebraska National Guard from Wayne and Norfolk. I am speaking today as a member of a military family against the war in Iraq and in favor of the withdrawal of our troops.

Members of the National Guard are “citizen soldiers,” and like other soldiers, their sacrifice and service to this country deserve respect and gratitude from all of us. But being a soldier does not preclude being a thoughtful, informed citizen. Being loyal to our country does not mean losing the ability to recognize that the conflict in Iraq has changed into a civil war or to see that only the Iraqis themselves can settle the differences between Sunnis and Shiites. Being loyal to our country does not mean it is unpatriotic to question the wisdom of maintaining the status quo.

I am here because I believe that the most meaningful way to honor our soldiers in Iraq is to speak up about the mounting evidence that this administration misled us into this war and sent Americans to fight and die with a flawed plan. I believe we honor our soldiers when we speak out against this administration’s insistence on following a failed policy in Iraq, a policy which many see as undermining the broader fight against terrorism, and I believe that when citizens insist on accountability from their elected representatives, they are showing great respect towards our men and women in uniform.

My son, who is loyal to the National Guard, to his friends, and to his country, sees no conflict between being a good soldier and being a good citizen. He e-mailed, “I would just want people to know that they need to stand up for what they think is right,” and he quoted a fellow soldier who said, “Please stress that people can oppose the war and support the troops. Those are two different things, and as soldiers we feel one of the things we are fighting for is the right of people to oppose their government in a democratic way.”

Thank you for speaking out for our soldiers, for standing up, and for being here today.

Coalition for Peace
contact: 402-499-6672
Page hosting for CFP courtesy of First Mennonite Church.