upcoming events

in the next two weeks:

see all upcoming events

announcements

Do you have old cell phones or used ink cartridges and want to recycle them? Contact Liz Fossett.

dems poll

Unfortunately our poll cannot be displayed on this page.

georgetown dems blog

read the rest of the blog

alumni

Are you a Georgetown Dems alum? We'd love to hear what you're doing now!

subscribe to our mailing list

mailing list archive

blog

For those that support our continued military presence in Iraq, let me share some thoughts.

I was 18 years old when I came to Georgetown. In the last three years, four months, and eleven days, 22 American 18 year olds were killed in Iraq. One of them, Pfc. Bradley G. Kritzer, U.S. Army, 1st Cavalry Division, was killed by an Improvised Explosive Device in Baghdad on May 5th, 2004, three days before I turned seventeen. He was from Irvona, PA. He joined the army to pay for his education so that he could work for the Pennsylvania Gaming Commission. His dream was never realized. Remember, he was 18 years old.

I am 19 years old now. In the last three years, four months, and eleven days, 149 19 year olds have been killed in Iraq. I turned nineteen on May 8th, 2006. Two days before that, on May 6th, Lance Corporal Leon Deraps, U.S. Marine Corps, 1st Marine Logistics Group, died in an Improvised Explosive Device attack in Fallujah. He was from St. Louis, MO. He was 19 years old. He was a Boy Scout who won 35 Merit Badges and was his Senior Prom King in High School. Remember, he was 19 years old.

I will turn twenty next year. In the last three years, four months, and eleven days, 273 20 year olds have been killed in Iraq. One of them, Pfc. Nicholas E. Messmer, U.S. Army, 2nd Infrantry Division, died on my eighteenth birthday on May 8th, 2005 in Khalidiyah in a hostile fire attack by the enemy. He was from Gahanna, Ohio. He was "into working out and wanted to be a firefighter." Remember, he was 20 years old.

I will be able to legally drink on May 8th, 2008, when I turn 21 years old. In the last three years, four months, and eleven days, 320 21 year old American servicemen and women have died in Iraq. Sergeant Elisha Parker, U.S. Marine Corps, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, died on May 4th, 2006, in a hostile fire attack in Al Anbar Province. He was from Camden, New York. Nicknamed Eli, Sergeant Parker could have "gone to any college he wanted to." He was on the track team. Remember, he was 21 years old.

I will graduate college soon after I turn 22 on May 8th, 2009. In the last three years, four months, and eleven days, 260 American 22 year olds have died in Iraq. On June 9th, 2006, while I was slaving away at my internship here in Washington, D.C., Pfc. Ben Slaven, U.S. Army National Guard, 308th Transportation Company died in Diwaniyah in an IED attack. He was from Plymouth, Nebraska. According to his frist Sergeant, Slaven always "volunteered for duties like cleaning the floor with a toothbrush." Remember, he was 22 years old.

As we are college students, we know a lot of 18, 19, 20, 21, and 22 year olds. They're our friends, our classmates, our girlfriends and boyfriends, our TA's, our club Presidents, our start athletes, our brothers and sisters. They are us. Our generation, we are the ones dying in this war. 1,024 18, 19, 20, 21, and 22 year olds have died so far in this war. Before we say that we need to stay in Iraq to prevent it from "degrading" into civil war, remember 18 year old Pfc. Brad Kritzer. Before we say that we can't just break Iraq and leave it, remember 19 year old Lance Corporal Leon Deraps. Before we say that we have an obligation to see success in Iraq, remember 20 year old Pfc. Nicholas Messmer. Before talking about how leaving Iraq would be giving in to the terrorists, remember 21 year old Sergeant Eli Parker. And before we say that we can still win in Iraq, remember 22 year old Pfc. Ben Slaven.

The war in Iraq is a failure, and we have made a lot of mistakes. How many more Ben Slavens will we have to lose before we get out? How many more Brad Kritzers will have to die before we realize that this war in unwinnable? How many more Leon Deraps will die in the blast of an IED before we accept that the U.S. military cannot make the Sunni and the Shia like one another? How many more Eli Parkers will have to die before we realize that we have created more terrorists? And how many more Nicholas Messmers will have to die before we realize that the best thing to do for Iraq and for America is to get our troops out immediately?

1,024 American mistakes who should have been at a party with us on the Village A rooftops instead of dying in Iraq. They should have been struggling with Problem of God and International Relations, not getting blown up by IED's. They should have been cheering the Hoyas last year in March Madness, not sitting at checkpoints, armed and ready to fire on Iraqis. They should have been getting Chicken Madness' at Wisie's, not trying to put Iraq back together again.

Before anyone says that we should stay in Iraq, I challenge you to say that you are willing to go to Iraq and wear the uniforms that these brave men and women wear and hold the assault rifles and fear IED attacks. If any of you can say that staying in Iraq is worth it enough that you would be willing to go and serve and die, then I salute you. But if not, join me in saying that this war must end, and end immediately before we remember any more kids our age who needlessly died in a senseless and endless war in a country that does not threaten our national security. Join me now, before we lose any more.

3 comments:

TamaraBodner said...

My name is Tamara Bodner, I am serving in the United States AirForce, and I have been for the past 3 years.

Though I do not agree with this war, my heart stands with the soldiers. I loved your Blog.

PFC Bradley Kritzer was my best friend. We grew up together. When I heard news he had died. I fell apart. I was in Ramstein Germany at the time, and was there when his body came through for his last flight home. I was allowed 10 minutes with his casket, onboard that C-5, as I knelt down beside him, and cleaned the flag that covered his transfer case. In tears, I said my final goodbye.

I loved him. More than he will ever know. Time doesn't heal the pain, and it doesn't make it less difficult. I still cry at night when I think of him. I still wonder if he hears me.

I am married now. With a child of my own, and I am due to go to Iraq in May.

I realize that this war is unwinnable. However, I also realize, we are in too deep to pull out now. For the sake of our countrymen and women we must be there. to keep the war off of our own soil.

Thankyou for remembering my friend.
Thankyou for voicing your thoughts.
Maybe someday someone who can change this.... will do something about it.

Anonymous said...

Please don't cheapen my friend Eli's death. He wanted to be a Marine ever since I had met him. You can argue the war but please don't drop names of people like you know them. I miss him constantly but I remember him saying it's what he wanted. Yes he could have went to any college. But he chose to die for you whether you wanted it or not. I to also went to college and so I know how blind college students are. When I entered college I knew everything. I quickly found that I knew nothing. I wanted the world to be a peaceful place and I still do. However I have come to the realization that the world is hostile and so sometimes there must be sacrifices democrats blame Bush for not being proactive and preventing 9/11 then attack him for being proactive and attempting to disarm a hostile nation.

If your familiar with history all the great nations come to an end when they have to much luxury. Their armies weaken due to the fact that no one is willing to sacrifice the luxury. Thankfully someone is. So go enjoy yourself and rest easy knowing that there are brave, selfless human beings still alive that protect your right to party. I'm not much of a partier myself drinking a waste of time and money.

I would say my biggest issue with college students is they take everything for granted. It took the death of a friend to open my eyes. You can't cling to the government for protection then get upset when someone people have to die for that safety.

I thank everyone who has given their life so that I could live life the way I am now.

Eli Parker was my best friend and my hero. I'm 22 years old and I approve this message.
-Merph

Oh and I'm not Republican :)

Anonymous said...

Please don't cheapen my friend Eli's death. He wanted to be a Marine ever since I had met him. You can argue the war but please don't drop names of people like you know them. I miss him constantly but I remember him saying it's what he wanted. Yes he could have went to any college. But he chose to die for you whether you wanted it or not. I to also went to college and so I know how blind college students are. When I entered college I knew everything. I quickly found that I knew nothing. I wanted the world to be a peaceful place and I still do. However I have come to the realization that the world is hostile and so sometimes there must be sacrifices democrats blame Bush for not being proactive and preventing 9/11 then attack him for being proactive and attempting to disarm a hostile nation.

If your familiar with history all the great nations come to an end when they have to much luxury. Their armies weaken due to the fact that no one is willing to sacrifice the luxury. Thankfully someone is. So go enjoy yourself and rest easy knowing that there are brave, selfless human beings still alive that protect your right to party. I'm not much of a partier myself drinking a waste of time and money.

I would say my biggest issue with college students is they take everything for granted. It took the death of a friend to open my eyes. You can't cling to the government for protection then get upset when someone people have to die for that safety.

I thank everyone who has given their life so that I could live life the way I am now.

Eli Parker was my best friend and my hero. I'm 22 years old and I approve this message.
-Merph