While many here are, rightly, concerned with the terrible effects that Bush's war is having on innocent Iraqis, the effects on our soldiers and Marines who are not killed or physically wounded are also terrible.
PostSecret, the Internet "community art project" that solicits and receives postcards of personal secrets, has one up this week (plus an e-mail reply) that addresses the mental terror that some Iraq War veterans live with every day.
Why they do not look forward to Fourth of July fireworks, below.
The postcard is handwritten on the back of a graduation invitation envelope. I don't know how to copy it here, so please go and check it out TODAY (the site posts new postcards on Sunday, and there are no archives).
Here's the text:
At my best friend's graduation today, I heard a fire engine and could only think of a bomb going off, the F.D. responding.
Firecrackers went off and I heard machinegun fire.
When I drive in my car, as I look for oncoming traffic, I also check local buildings and houses for snipers.
I have been out of the military for two years, and was only in Iraq for four months.
I am so fucking scared, of everything.
The e-mail reply was:
To the person who was in Iraq for four months. I was in Iraq for 13 and I hate fireworks now, too.
I don't like the Fourth of July. I almost puked at last year's fireworks. Twice.
I know how you feel. It sucks. I would never wish it on my worst enemy.
This is a generally unremarked-upon Bush war crime -- he has fucked with the heads of hundreds of thousands of American soldiers and Marines, many of whom will suffer Iraq nightmares for the rest of their lives.
PostSecret supports the 1-800-SUICIDE help line, which is really the best part of the site -- it has saved lives.
Here's an e-mailed story from this week:
Four weeks ago, you ran one of my secrets -- the wrecked house with the words: "This is the house I built for my heart -- I used your blueprint -- it's the best I can do."
Today, I saw the postcard of the open bottle of pills with the morse code for SOS [reproduced on the site, again TODAY only]. That was me two days ago.
I had had an almost-sleepless night filled with nightmares, and the first thing I saw when I woke was my two bottles of pills.
I stared at them for over an hour and then dialed 1-800-SUICIDE. An hour later, I was able to call my therapist, my family and to start getting the help I need to live.
To that SOS person: hang on -- someone is picking up your signal, and they are praying for you, reaching out to you, and sending you their love.
Many of the veterans of Bush's war will need lots of support in coming years.
If you know one, please do whatever you can to help him/her deal with his/her mental terrors.
At the very least, tell them you love them.