Yesterday evening, before leaving work, my coworker read about the extension of tours of duty for military personnel in Afghanistan and Iraq. Had he himself not been jerked around by a Marine recruiter literally three days earlier, the news might have gone in one ear and out the other, but he was given the hard-sell from the recruiter who promised one thing then attempted to deliver quite another...not an unfamiliar story.
"They didn't sign up for THAT!" my coworker said incredulously. "This is bullshit. Keeping those men and women away from their families that long." Not to mention extended tours means an extended likelihood of becoming wounded or worse. Knowing my political leanings, he immediately asked me for the phone numbers for our Senators and his rep in the House. He asked where the petition was to flat-out withdraw from Iraq. He asked for details on how to take action, how to stop the madness.
Well, better Nate then lever, right? I provided him with as much information as I could. This man who twice voted for Bush, this utter conservative who had told me about a year ago with a shrug, "At least we got nominees on the Supreme Court." finally understands just how badly he and others like him were used and abused. Another winger turns against the president. Not a permanent ally, not yet at least, but one more person ready to stand up to the Bush Administration against the war in Iraq. Granted, the president ignores the citizens, but every one of us contributes to the pressure anyway.
Sorry for a fairly typical diary. When I read diaries with this sort of subject matter, it gives me hope. I just wanted to give a little of that hope back to the folks who have shared their stories with us.