black…MYstory

As you are probably aware, television and the internet are buzzing from John McCain’s recent comments. On an interview on the Today Show, John McCain was asked if he could now, as a result of the surge, estimate when troops could come home. McCain offered the following:

“No, but that’s not too important. What’s important is casualties in Iraq. Americans are in South Korea. Americans are in Japan. American troops are in Germany. That’s all fine. American casualties, and the ability to withdraw. We will be able to withdraw. … But the key to it is we don’t want any more Americans in harm’s way.”

Not too important? You have people who may have been put on as much as their fifth tour in Iraq but, it’s “not too important” how long people have to be away from their families. Even if some day, many years from now, we get to a point where casualties are non-existent, we still have the fact that we will likely require a significant troop presence there to protect the huge embassy and military bases being built there, as well as protecting all the corporations that are looking to feed at the trough there.

This means that military people will continue to be asked to keep the burdens on their families to support a failed policy because George Bush and, now, John McCain tell us that some day this will all be worth it.

However, try telling people like the families of Marlin Rockhold or LaVena Johnson that when they were coming home was not too important. Both of them died after Bush declared “Mission Accomplished”. For their families, the date on which they came home decided whether or not they would ever see them alive again.

Of course, in John McCain’s world, war is an ideal state of being, allowing him some shining glory. However, for people serving and their families, it’s about sacrifice, hardship and a constant fear of that knock on the door from someone telling you your loved one is coming home in a casket.

So, no Senator McCain, it is imporatant. It’s important to a lot of people.

Also, here’s the interview in a fuller context to show that it’s still no less worse:

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