Anti-War Constituents visit Congressman Duncan Hunter's Office

Activists gathering outside of the office of Warhawk Republican Congressman, Duncan Hunter.

On Thursday, February 22nd, Members of MoveOn.org, Veteran's for Peace, and other concerned citizens joined forces at Congressman Duncan Hunter's district office in El Cajon, Calif. The anti-war visit was one of 250 "Congress is The Decider" visits to congressional offices across the country.

Those who took part in yesterday's action against the war in Iraq had all viewed the thought provoking, unforgettable film, The Ground Truth, at screenings in living rooms all over America (see recent post entitled "The Ground Truth - A Must See"). Thousands of letters were written after the screenings urging an end to the illegal war of aggression waged against Iraq by the Bush Administration. Stacks of letters were delivered to each of the 250 offices. A total of45,000 letters were written by constituents and delivered!

The attendees numbered between 35 and 40 which is a very encouraging number for this area which suffers a population heavy with conservatives and the politically indifferent. It was a gathering of some real terrific informed citizens. Duncan presidential wannabe Hunter was not in.

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I am a veteran and the mother of a disabled veteran so I volunteered to speak at the above event. I was inspired by my fellow scholar at the American Patriot Institute, Spadoman, who does something daily to end this war and then does one thing more. He's out there every week in Wisconsin, standing on a corner, working for peace.

My husband took this photo while I was speechifyin' to part of the gathering. Below are some excerts.

Two years ago, I wrote a blog after reading about recent research on brain development. The findings concluded that the adolescent brain does not fully mature ujntil the age of twentyfive. Eighteen year-olds and twentytwo year-olds are stilll kids whose brains have not yet reached adult capacity. We are training children to become killers and sending them into the chaos and the ultimate trauma of war.

At Ft. Sam Houston, Texas, I witnessed the results of exposure to the daily stress of combat. I have seen the physical injuries - severe burns and the loss of limbs but I want to describe to you a form of injury that is not physically apparent.

First kill photos were common throphies prouldly shown off by some of the troops upon return form Nam. I've seen several sets. I see them still.

The Swift Boat Veterans dispute the stories of jars of teeth or ears. They are wrong. I have seen a quart jar filled with human teeth and a jar the same size packed with dried, severed VC ears.

In a military medical classroom slide show, we were privy to images of a Viet Cong prisoner
hung by his feet from a tree with his intestines hanging down over his face. He was flanked by two smiling American GIs one of which with his bayonet plunged into the gut of the terrified detainee.

What I have described to you were the outward expressions of psychologically traumatized soldiers. Their mothers did not bring them up to behave that way. The United States military did.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD rewires the brain. When an individual is exposed repeatedly to traumatic stressors over a long period of time, PTSD becomes chronic.

Imagine the effects of PTSD on a brain that is still developing. I know what happens. Twelve years of emotional and sexual abuse during childhood left me with chronic PTSD. I live with it every day. My military experiences simply added another layer. Chronic PTSD is forever.

The war against Vietnam that my generation was forced to fight broke my heart. That the neoconservatives, who occupy our nation's capitol, have lied yet another generation of kids into unnecessary combat is criminal!

They are returning to the states with the worst levels of PTSD that have been seen to date. These kids have been forced to serve multiple combat tours in rapid succession. My heart continues to break.

America was shocked by the recent news of the inhuman, disgraceful, and indifferent treatment of our mentally and physically wounded soldiers at Walter Reed's outpatient facilities. I was not surprised. We were told, while I was in the military, that personnel are expendable.

I have spoken about the effects of the trauma of war on our kids, our troops, but what of the Iraqis? A full one third to one half of those who survive Bush's war will suffer chronic PTSD. Almost ALL of the children are severely impacted. What plans exist for the treatment of Iraqi war victims?


There was no plan for the Iraqi people beyond "Shock and Awe" and the delivery of "flowers and sweets". There was no plan to exit Iraq. There was no plan to cover the treatment of thousands of American war wounded who are permanently disabled. However, there is a plan to pay for this little war, the children and grandchildren of American workers will work off the bills over their lifelimes.

Americans need to take responsibility to stop the misuse of American troops and to put a stop to this administration's use of war or the threat of war as a replacement for engaging in diplomacy.

"The nicest veterans in Schenectady, I thought, the kindest and funniest ones, the ones who hated the war the most, were the ones who'd really fought".
- Kurt Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse Five

...............PEACE..............
Resident Scholar, API
Kitchen Window Woman