Wednesday, February 18, 2004

‘Military brat’ deplores Iraq war, questions stories about Saddam’s lions

I recently read a very propagandistic letter sent in by a soldier at Fort Bragg and was shocked by certain statements. First, I would like to say that this man’s tone implied that only people supporting the President and his foolish actions are patriots (notice: I said imply).

Well, I am a military brat; I have friends in combat, many of whom may never be attending high school reunions with me (and we just got out of high school a year ago). I have seen my father go off to war. I am constantly afraid that I am going to get a call in the middle of the night from a sobbing friend saying that she has lost either a sibling or a parent, whom I no doubt knew.

And you know what? I oppose the war vehemently. I am more patriotic than most of these post-9/11 wannabe patriots or militaristically indoctrinated soldiers (but ironically, I have the utmost respect and admiration for military personnel; they are the true American heroes).

My kind and I oppose the war not just because of our doltish president but because we value the lives of those we hold dear.

Secondly, people claiming mass brutality by Saddam’s sons in the form of feeding defectors to lions is highly untrue. Sure, a few people may have been fed to them, but the exaggerated numbers put out there don’t match up with the lions themselves.

When American forces entered the menageries and zoos where the sons’ lions were kept, they found not animals used to human consumption but animals not used to being fed at all. The lions were emaciated and grossly ill. Pictures of them may have been some of the disturbing things to come out of the country. Many died before American forces could help them and now veterinary teams from around the world are scrambling to help these pathetically desperate animals. Obviously, feeding people to lions was not all that common.

It’s amazing how in a war as modern as this one so many facts can be lost or changed. Maybe it’s time for another regime change in November 2004. America owes it to herself.

Dixie Eska-Thedra

Fayetteville, Ga.