85. Reflections on Iraq War and How It Is Affecting Us All

My condolences to Ray Quichocho and his wife on the death of their son/stepson, Victor Michael Fontanilla. I'm sorry he died in Iraq. I'm sorry that we Americans have funded war, rather than peace. I'm sorry that this soldier and others won't be coming home again to these beautiful, pacific, islands.

The sun shines here. The CNMI is intensely beautiful, with flame trees in brilliant reds, plumeria laden with fragrant blossoms, flourescent-pink bougainvilla climbing everywhere. And yet, our young people are attracted to the military life. I have trouble fathoming that choice.

The "glory" of war isn't much like war as depicted in the movies. We can see the real thing up close in images available with a click. Just go to You Tube and type Iraq. You'll find footage of what's really happening there. You can view events as "officially" reported by MNF-IRAQ.com.

Like this, taken in March 2007:



And this night raid, also in March 2007:



What strikes me about these skirmishes is the almost casual nature of some of the fighting. Standing around outside in the open, uncertain where shots are coming from, or stepping over bodies.

You can also see Iraq before America's invasion, what the Iraqi people see when they look at their country. Like this:



Or this, footage taken 2 weeks before America invaded:



Real life doesn't come with a soundtrack, so the music adds artifice, makes it seem perfectly peaceful, and we know it wasn't, but it looks pretty normal.

So what does it all mean? What are we, as Americans from a very peaceful island, supposed to think and do, for our country, for God? So many of our youth sign up with noble intentions. But I hope that those now contemplating joining the US military take a closer look and listen.

If you've missed this Iraqi-American rapper, you aren't confused enough yet about America's role in Iraq.


And if you stray from the "official" footage of the war in Iraq, the chaos of the situation, and what our soldiers are facing, becomes much more evident. Perhaps this video captures it best:



As for me, I'm still praying for peace.

21. Another CNMI Son Dies in Iraq

I heard this morning that there is another CNMI man coming home from the war in Iraq for burial. Leroy Camacho.

I want to cry. Such a sad and mournful event.

I want to scream. Such a needless loss.

There are other opportunities for our young men and women. They might require hard work. They might not be draped in red, white and blue. But they are honorable and moral.

1. Education--college, vocational education. Studying and writing and reading and researching--these activities are easier than marching, slogging through heat and grime, killing and living with fear.

2. Jobs in the states--if you're willing to move for a military career, you can be willing to move for better-paying jobs with better benefits in the mainland.

3. The religious life--dedicate yourself to peace and love. We need more priests, brothers, nuns.

We are not in the midst of World War II, where our military men and women were fighting against evil, where the moral equation justified the war. Signing up for a military career at present is agreeing to follow leaders like our President who make immoral choices. Joining the war effort now is agreeing to become a murderer.

I don't believe anyone from the CNMI who has died in Iraq knew that before deployment. I think we have failed to discuss the ramifications of a military career now. We continue to laud praise and glory on the slain soldiers. And those soldiers are innocents led to slaughter.

But we can't claim innocence forever. We have a duty to educate ourselves. We have a duty to educate our CNMI youth--and stop promoting jingoism.

Patriotism does not require blind allegiance to an immoral war.