The following letter was forwarded to me from community activist Dr. Lorri,
Dear Doc:
I can’t tell you where I am except somewhere in the Middle East. I wanted to write to let you know that I am OK. You asked me before I left why I wanted to be in the Corps. I told you my dad and his dad were in so I wanted to follow family tradition. I now know the real reason. Since I have been here, I realize that I am here to help people get the rights we already have in the U.S. They can’t speak freely without getting thrown into jail. They can’t criticize the government the way we can, without getting thrown into jail. Forget things like City Council meetings. I remember you told me once that we had a great opportunity in our community to speak out to the City Council if we didn’t like something. These people don’t have that. I never went to a City Council meeting when I was home, but I will when I get back. I won’t take our freedoms for granted ever again. I hope that is a better answer to your question than the one I gave you before.
With love,
name withheld on request
Inspiring letter. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThis Marine could do easily do more than speaking at a council meeting to exercise and maintain his rights when he gets back.
Speaking at a council meeting is meaningless if he can't back up his speech with his vote, so he can join Verified Voting.
www.verifiedvoting.org
He can't come up with an educated opinion to speak about if his leaders don't share information about what his government is doing.
There are many organizations that he can join.
www.commoncause.org
www.cfac.org
www.calaware.org
SEMPER FI
ReplyDeleteWhen will the USA ask Kuwait, Saudia Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, U.A.E., and Oman to give its citizens the same rights that our soldiers and marines are fighting for in Iraq and Afghanistan?
ReplyDeleteKuwait, Saudia Arabia, Qatar, U.A.E., and Oman are the allies of the USA.
This person happens to be a Leucadian. He surfed, enjoyed our community, and right now is still in Iraq. Thank you J.P. for posting his letter. He did agree for it to be posted, but did not want his name on it in case someone thought he was being stuipid for joining the Marines. It will be a wonderful holiday gift for him to see the posts, hopefullly all will be supportive. He does have a point. We do have a rare opportunity to speak out. The first threee posts are great. I belive he will want to learn more and become involved. I am sure he can use all of the support he can get at this time. He is tired, and would rather be surfing right about now. So Happy Holdays to you all and I will send him the positive posts, if I think that they can get thru the U.S. censors.
ReplyDeleteOne more thing. In case some of you are not members of Calaware (Californian's Aware), they are a non-profit organizaiton run by a husband and wife team of attorneys. They will have to disband unless they can come up with some extra money in 2008. They are the ones Teresa Barth turned to when needing added advice about Brown Act. If possible, it would be nice to give them a small donation to keep them going. They are a wonderful group of people, truly dedicated to what this young man is fighting for.He would love it.
ReplyDeleteRussell Marr is a Vietnam Veteran who surfs, also. We have so much compassion and empathy for this young man, and are doing our best to work toward open, honest and accountable government here at the local level.
ReplyDeleteThank you JP, for posting this, and Dr. Lorri for sharing it with us.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, everyone. Nearly every time Russell speaks before the Council he mentions our veterans fighting overseas. We hope they can come home, safe and sound, to loving families, SOON.
Your service honors the ideals of our nation. You have done what only a few of us have the courage and selflessness to do. Your home life is on hold in order to help our country and to help others on the other side of the world. Growing up in Leucadia, it probably means that you had many other routes you could have taken in your own life. For the rest of your life you will know that you have already stood up and you carry the spirit most of us only hope to one day find within ourselves.
ReplyDeleteNot all of us agree that we should have gone into Iraq the way we did, but it is undeniable that if we gave up on the Iraqis now their lives would be in greater jeopardy. You have chosen a path that hopefully will create a safer and more just society for others. That won't happen without the help of people like you. You are in our thoughts.
Thank You.
God bless you. Even though so many of us are aganst the war, it cannot be easy for you. Take good care of yourself and we'll save you a place a Swami's when you return. Perhaps Hansen's will throw in a board.
ReplyDeleteThe Middle East is an alien world compared to Leucadia. It seems like our friends and neighbors who volunteered to go over there have been assigned an impossible task. I am in awe of those who do that job and don't even complain. Most people throw a fit if the clerk messes up their coffee order at Starbucks.
ReplyDeleteSEMPER FI bro, may God protect and bless you. May you come home safe to surf and love life in this beautiful place we all share.
ReplyDeleteStrength and power to all who love peace, throughout the world. I know that no one loves or appreciates peace more than the warriors.
Does anyone know how many local men and women are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan?
ReplyDeleteMaybe Brian Bilbray would know how many men and woman are in Iraq and Afghanistan. Isn't he our 50th Congressional district congressman? In fact, Christy Guerin works for him and his office is in Solana Beach. If I get a chance I will call. Perhaps others can as well. It would be nice to know.
ReplyDeleteI call Bullshit!!!
ReplyDeleteYou are killing innocent people over there.
If we were invaded by some country to steal our resources, wouldn't you fight back???
This is not WWI or WWII.
We are not fighting "the bad guys" to protect our country.
This time we ARE the bad guys.
You are simply a pawn & your life means nothing to this administration.
We need to be restoring Peace & Democracy to THIS Country.
Not destroying & creating chaos in other countries.
Turn off your TV's & wake up idiots.
Jon P: Did it ever occur to you that you have the right to post because of our freedoms? This man may be a pawn but you might want to take a long hard look in the mirror and ask yourself, was it really necessary to post that crap to this young marine. He did what was expected of him. How was he to know that this war would turn out the way that it did. Shame on you for blaming him. You are just like the Vietnam protestors spitting at the troops when they came home. I hope Dr. Lori does not send your post to him. Or if she does, I hope you are not a surfer when he returns. He might be crazy by then and turn on you.
ReplyDeleteRent the documentary No End In Sight. Bush, Cheney and Rumsfield are the most incompetent boobs who ever tried to run a war in history. The frustration of the people sent in to set up the new Iraqi government is heartbreaking. They had no office furniture or telephones or computers due to the looting that Rumsfield allowed. It didn't take long for the country to plunge into chaos.
ReplyDelete