US Iraq Veterans

You can sit there and claim I am some un-American Muslim convert that just doesn’t understand. Let me tell you something… I love my country (USA)… I want good for my country… I want to make my country an even better place than it already is… I get emotional and choked up during patriotic songs… I cheer for our men and women in the Olympics… But first, I do not worship my country. I will not blindly assume that all that my country does is good and just and right.

Second, just because we are at war with someone does not make them wrong or unjust or bad. Just about every nation has a history of demonizing its enemies. In our case, look back at what our countrymen were saying about Native Americans. Look at what was said about the Africans that survived the trans-Atlantic and brought into slavery. Look at how we treated Japanese-Americans and how we thought about the Russians. Now, the tables have just turned to a new group – and those feelings are exacerbated by war in Iraq, war in Afghanistan, potential war with Iran, and lopsided media coverage in Palestine.

Thirdly, there is nothing un-American about wanting our troops to come home or about wanting to spare the lives and infrastructure of people in other countries. There is nothing unpatriotic about being concerned about humanity, in general.

(If you’re reading this and you are not from the US, I hope and pray that you do not judge the people of my country based on the actions of our government. We are a very diverse people with beliefs and understandings from every spot on every spectrum. And that is one of our many beauties, one of our many strengths.)

Lastly, don’t take my word for it. Take a look at what some of our own troops have to say…