Letter to a Friend

Here is a five minute rage I had on this kid's Facebook wall. I wrote a comment in a Soldier Support group on the website, which was not derogatory to our troops or their service in any manner. Then, a friend that is a Marine posted this:

I have been in the Marine Corps for over 8 months now, but i have not served any tours to Iraq. First of all Alex, The reason we chose to do this IS for the blood of are Brothers, yes it would be nice if they could all come home but WE choose and chose to join the armed forces for this very reason, and the danger is not senseless, its only becomes so as soon as its not supported by the people.
LET us do what we train to do, that would be the best way to show that we love us, to let us show that we love you all. WE FIGHT FOR YOU, so others can tuck there kids in at night, so others don't have to wipe the blood of their comrades from their weapons.

Semper Fi
PFC Cuevas
P.S. Army are Solders

After several degrading and provoking comments left on my wall by him, I finally responded instead of ignoring him any longer. Here's my subsequent response on his wall:

Listen, I'm not trying to provoke argument; but since you seem so intent on fighting, I'll indulge. Grammatical errors aside... It was still a dumb comment. It IS an unnecessary danger. Yeah, we've caught some bad guys, but unnecessarily killed thousands of Americans, and even more civilians in the mean time. You're right, you're trained beyond belief for this kind of action, but it's only to be used at appropriate times. Just because you're trained to fight, doesn't mean you have/need to. Just because the power of the Priesthood allows us to move mountains, doesn't mean it's necessary or required of us to exhort our tremendous power in that way. You can show us that you "love" us by being home and supporting your families, not out killing or destroying other families. I'm positive we'd all be tucking in our kids at night regardless of going to Iraq. How many dangers have we thwarted? How many WMD's have we found? Yet, at the same time, how many families have we broken up? How much worse off is the Iraqi nation now? No power, water, or stable government! What we seem to forget is that freedom must bubble up from the people! Just look to our nation as an example. I know you fight for me, and as I said earlier, there's nothing more honorable or admirable. You don't have to kill others to prove to us your bravery. We don't start wars just so our military doesn't get bored. We fight when provoked, such as in Afghanistan. What threat was in Iraq, huh?! Yeah, Saddam was evil, but guess what, so is nearly every African leader at this point in time. Look at a man like Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe. You think for one second that Saddam was the biggest threat this nation faced, you're a fool. Why don't we care about Bin Laden? It’s simply due to the fact that he doesn't control a single drop of oil. America's thirst for oil and Bush's craving for money is why we're in Iraq. If we really gave a crap about the Iraqi citizens, we'd be protecting them instead of oil executives. What are the first things our troops surround when they drop into Iraq? Is it one of Saddam's hideouts or palaces? No. Is it any of the KNOWN military bases or powerhouses? No. Is it any of the supposed "WMD" sites? No. It's the oil fields that our troops secured and are securing now. Why aren't we protecting the civilians who we're "giving" freedom? (More like shooting it at them through a barrel of a gun...) Instead, our army is being used as the EPA to ensure the safety of the oil fields. Our soldiers are protecting these multi-million dollar oil tycoons, instead of a family of five, struggling now that there is complete anarchy and a huge civil war occurring as well, (which was initiated by our arrival). Oppression has never been more forceful or prevalent than it is now. We don't give a shiz about what's happening to civilians and you know it. Why do you think soldiers are raping guys in prison and filming a guy's testicles getting bitten off by dogs. NO MATTER HOW EVIL SOMEONE IS, THAT IS NEVER ACCEPTABLE!!!! Yeah, I'm sure Iraqis want freedom when they sit there watching their father being tortured, stripped down, mocked, and killed, even though he was eventually proven not guilty! I'm not blaming the soldiers for this. This blame alone falls into the laps of Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, and most importantly, King George! They wouldn't be in that position if we weren't there in the first place. I know I sound harsh, but it's out of concern for you and your family. I don't want to see you put in the same position. You can protect us when it's required, but not out of personal desires. Don't think for one second that I don't love this country and its servicemen and WOMEN! I put up a flag every day, and recite the Pledge of Allegiance, and with respect, retire it every evening. You think I take my rights for advantage? WRONG! I love and care about this country more than anything at this point in time. I just want to see your safety, and therefore, stay here. You're not required to sacrifice yourself. Thank you. PAiX

Oh yeah, I can be cocky too.

Alex Peacock
Orem 0-7 Democratic Precinct Chair
Young Utah County Democrats President
BYU Democrats VP
PAiX