Excellent points. Magna... we must not shed any tears for the asshole losers who decided to fight and die in Bush's criminal war... instead we must pray for the innocent Iraqi victims of this war, and for the Iraqi resistance movement that seeks justice for the crimes committed against the Peoples of Iraq, by the tunnel-visioned followers of Bush... Rest assured, the Civilized World is on the side of the victims and not on the side of the aggressors... God Bless all good Americans and all good Iraqis...
Candle, Pat Tillman took the very brave step of walking away from a privileged life and training/fighting for what he believed in. Unlike the overwhelming majority of people (including the Chickenhawks in Washington and most on this board) he didn't just talk tough but put his life on the line and walked the talk. Whether you consider it misguided or not, that's real courage to me, standing up for what you think is right, drawing a line in the sand, and saying The Buck Stops Here. Just like all the other brave soldiers fighting what's turning out to be an increasingly unpopular war. I may disagree with our invasion and occupation of Iraq, but that disagreement is with the leaders, the policy-makers, those who give the orders, those who send others out to do their dirty work, to risk their lives and die for them. If you've ever been a soldier you'll understand what I mean.
Candle, You do not get to simply "choose" which wars you will fight and which ones you won't if you are an active member of the US military. You calling the people who gave their lives in Iraq assholes is downright dispicable, regardless of whether you agree with the underlying reasons for occupying/invading Iraq. Somebody has to defend your ungrateful ass, no? Or do you suppose we should just do away with a military? Pat Tillman was killed in Afghan, not Iraq. Do you not support Americas efforts over there? Do you not feel that we have a justifiable reason to be there? As a side note; I hope you don't talk this way when you're out in public, because there is a pretty good chance someone is going to punch a whole through you chest -- just a heads up.