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From the National Office

By Barry Romo

We keep hearing from the Republicans how noble this war in Iraq is, and how necessary it is for public safety. If it's so noble, why is there no Bush family member serving there—or two, or twenty? How come other people's sons and daughters are supposed to make Iraq safe for democracy? The Bush family are never even asked why their kids and relatives aren't in harm's way.

Hell, Baby Bush even has twins; he could sacrifice one for the cause. If she were killed, they would still have one who looked exactly like the other, so they wouldn't miss her so much. And if she were blown up, they'd have a model for the plastic surgeons to consult while remaking her face.

And hell, Brother Jeb in Florida has a whole passel of kids. Shit! They are taking forty- and fifty-year-olds and drug addicts, so his drug-user daughter could join the Marines; might even make a man out of her. Really, there have got to be thirty or forty in the Bush family alone available for combat.

Along comes Hillary Clinton, hitting Bush from the right on Iran. Well, goddamn it, she's got a daughter too. Don't be a hypocrite, Hillary. Give up your child in time for the next election.

On a similar note, remember Abu Ghraib? A nineteen-year-old woman—yes, a teenager—dog leash in hand, got blamed for torture. She came back to the good old USA pregnant, and is now in military prison.

Compare her fate with that of a chief warrant officer, an older male (probably a lifer). He tortured to death an Iraqi prisoner of war. He got a letter of reprimand and no jail time, and he's back at work as an interrogator.

Believe what they do, not what they say.

Well, Bush is now down to a 27% approval rating, and the press and Congress act like he's not a lame duck. The problem is that he's in charge, with his finger on the nukes. And he's thinking Iran must be next, because God talks to him. Nixon, at this point in his presidency, was talking to paintings of Lincoln and praying to God, not talking to God. These are dangerous times, as Seymour Hersh points out in the New Yorker.

We in VVAW need to ratchet up our visibility in local and national activities. We need to remind people how we were transformed by our war, and show that we support Iraq Veterans Against the War in their efforts to organize their brothers and sisters and to make their case with the American people.

Everyone should check out our website (www.vvaw.org) to purchase a copy of the new DVD version of Winter Soldier, with all sorts of extras. Also, check your local area for showings of the new documentary about the GI and veteran movement during the Vietnam War, Sir! No Sir!

Mark your calendars! VVAW will be forty next year, and we're planning a big bash in Chicago. You're all invited. This will be a good time with old friends (and new ones); it'll be an event to be remembered. History in the making, history remembered. Watch for further information on our website and in future issues of the Veteran.