To his mom...
Hey again, its me. I know its been a few days, but we've been staying out at an Iraqi Police (IP) checkpoint for the last few days. There were a few more attacks and we had to seize overrun IP stations and this checkpoint down south. After we seized them all we've done is sit and guard the damn things, which as you can probably imagine is not a lot of fun. Nobody has come out either, so we have been bored stiff. You should see these places though. The IP station is completely gone, nothing but rubble on the ground. Everything around it is all shot up and destroyed. The traffic checkpoint was pretty much annihilated too, the towers burned down and the barriers were blown apart. We've spent a lot of time reconstructing them.
Before the attacks there was a sign at the checkpoint...it was an anti-terrorist propoganda deal, with a masked man which represented terrorism, and on the other end of the sign were civilians holding up their hands as if to say, "stop terrorism". Well get this...when the insurgents overran the area, they tore down that sign, burned it, and hung a new sign in its place. The new sign was a picture of a modern city that covered the length of the sign. Only, on one end the city was peaceful and pretty, and by the other end, the entire city was in flames, and in the foreground sat a masked man in black. Not only is the sign a scary image, but the fact that these people go to such lengths as this to make a point is what gets me. Of course we tore the sign down with enthusiasm, but something else occured to me as I looked at it. That image is exactly what these people want to happen. They don't care any more about their own people than they do us, and I think that is a common misconception back in the states. Most people think that everyone here is anti-western and anti-christian, but that isn't the case. There are just these handfulls of people who dislike us and the Iraqi public pays for their actions. Now not everyone wants us here, but I know that most of them do, simply because we can protect them from these terrorist. They don't have to like us, but we offer them security that they can't provide themselves. The people back in the US haven't seen these terrorists storm peoples houses by force, then fortify them and use them for staging grounds. People haven't seen them use mosques and schoolhouses for safe havens from American guns. But we have, and there is seemingly nothing these people can do about it.
But that is exactly why I think I am here. It wasn't clear at first really. All I knew was that there was a war and I wanted to be on the first thing smoking to get there. But now I see the big picture that I think noone else back home gets. These people can't do anything about their situation, that is why they have been so easily dominated. But as Americans we operate differently, and there sure as hell is something that we can do about it. Now our initial reasons for entering this war may not be justified by some, I know that is a controversial issue. But the fact of the matter is we are here now, and being here is neccesary, no matter what people think. This is simply a matter of good vs. evil, right vs. wrong. Some people might think that I am naive and that there are other agendas that our government has. Well I don't know about that, all I know is what is going on in my piece of this pie, and I am proud of what we are doing. In my eyes these people represent the root of evil, in its purest form. Because these civilians are weak people that evil thrives here, it grows like a plant. I think it may be the best thing I do with my life to be part of the team that pulls that plant up. For the sake of others who can't do it for themselves.
I know its a lot to think about, but I've had a lot of time to ponder it the last couple days, and I guess I just wanted to get that off my chest. I know you all know where I'm coming from, but I just wish everyone else understood it as well. Anyway, I'm gonna go now, we've got to go back out to the checkpoint for what looks like a few more days. I love you all so much, I'll write again when I get back.
Your son,
Adam
Hey again, its me. I know its been a few days, but we've been staying out at an Iraqi Police (IP) checkpoint for the last few days. There were a few more attacks and we had to seize overrun IP stations and this checkpoint down south. After we seized them all we've done is sit and guard the damn things, which as you can probably imagine is not a lot of fun. Nobody has come out either, so we have been bored stiff. You should see these places though. The IP station is completely gone, nothing but rubble on the ground. Everything around it is all shot up and destroyed. The traffic checkpoint was pretty much annihilated too, the towers burned down and the barriers were blown apart. We've spent a lot of time reconstructing them.
Before the attacks there was a sign at the checkpoint...it was an anti-terrorist propoganda deal, with a masked man which represented terrorism, and on the other end of the sign were civilians holding up their hands as if to say, "stop terrorism". Well get this...when the insurgents overran the area, they tore down that sign, burned it, and hung a new sign in its place. The new sign was a picture of a modern city that covered the length of the sign. Only, on one end the city was peaceful and pretty, and by the other end, the entire city was in flames, and in the foreground sat a masked man in black. Not only is the sign a scary image, but the fact that these people go to such lengths as this to make a point is what gets me. Of course we tore the sign down with enthusiasm, but something else occured to me as I looked at it. That image is exactly what these people want to happen. They don't care any more about their own people than they do us, and I think that is a common misconception back in the states. Most people think that everyone here is anti-western and anti-christian, but that isn't the case. There are just these handfulls of people who dislike us and the Iraqi public pays for their actions. Now not everyone wants us here, but I know that most of them do, simply because we can protect them from these terrorist. They don't have to like us, but we offer them security that they can't provide themselves. The people back in the US haven't seen these terrorists storm peoples houses by force, then fortify them and use them for staging grounds. People haven't seen them use mosques and schoolhouses for safe havens from American guns. But we have, and there is seemingly nothing these people can do about it.
But that is exactly why I think I am here. It wasn't clear at first really. All I knew was that there was a war and I wanted to be on the first thing smoking to get there. But now I see the big picture that I think noone else back home gets. These people can't do anything about their situation, that is why they have been so easily dominated. But as Americans we operate differently, and there sure as hell is something that we can do about it. Now our initial reasons for entering this war may not be justified by some, I know that is a controversial issue. But the fact of the matter is we are here now, and being here is neccesary, no matter what people think. This is simply a matter of good vs. evil, right vs. wrong. Some people might think that I am naive and that there are other agendas that our government has. Well I don't know about that, all I know is what is going on in my piece of this pie, and I am proud of what we are doing. In my eyes these people represent the root of evil, in its purest form. Because these civilians are weak people that evil thrives here, it grows like a plant. I think it may be the best thing I do with my life to be part of the team that pulls that plant up. For the sake of others who can't do it for themselves.
I know its a lot to think about, but I've had a lot of time to ponder it the last couple days, and I guess I just wanted to get that off my chest. I know you all know where I'm coming from, but I just wish everyone else understood it as well. Anyway, I'm gonna go now, we've got to go back out to the checkpoint for what looks like a few more days. I love you all so much, I'll write again when I get back.
Your son,
Adam
