GOLD STAR OPINION- TO THE GOLD STARS- AMY BRANHAM 1.19.09

Tomorrow, January 20, 2009, we will watch as a new President takes the Oath of Office and begins leading our
nation.  This is a monumental occasion in the history of our nation, a nation that we all love and whose values
we all hold near and dear to our hearts.  It is a nation to which all of us have given that which we hold most dear
and precious – one of our children or family members.

Tomorrow we will see the leadership of one President end and the leadership of a new President begin.

I want to tell you, if you have not already come to the realization for yourselves, that you had a part in this.  Every
single one of us who has fought against the war in Iraq, every single one of us who has marched, written, given
speeches, done interviews, traveled across the country and many other things have worked for this very
moment.  Every single one of us has put something more on the line and questioned the decisions of George
W. Bush and his administration not only for the lead up to the war in Iraq, but also for the lackluster way in which
this war has been managed.

For some, like Mike, Celeste and the Zapalla family, Sue, Cindy, Karen, Jane, Norma and many others, it began
much earlier than for others.  For some, like me, it began when I marched with Cindy in a ditch on a hot Texas
August afternoon to the President’s ranch in Crawford asking him for what noble cause our children had died
for.  Many of you came to join us.  We questioned the Bush policies on the war, his reasons for going to war in
Iraq and many other things.  It was the first time any of us got any kind of national attention.  We were joined by
thousands of other people from around the country – military families, vets, hippies, grandparents and even
young people.

We, as a whole, made it okay for the people of this country to do something they had not dared to do until then –
question our President on the decisions he had made.  It took some time, but most of the rest of this country
found that if we, the Gold Star families who had sacrificed so much, found it acceptable and even our
responsibility to question the authority and the acts of the President, then it was okay for them to do so as well.

We helped change the minds and hearts of the American people.  We have influenced policy in Washington D.C.
and we have helped make sure that another war monger did not get elected President.

We made a difference!

Our goal of ending the war in Iraq is not yet accomplished, but great steps have been made in that direction.

I know that Barack Obama is not a miracle worker and he is not perfect.  I believe we are going to have to
continue to challenge him to right the wrongs that have been done in the name of the American people both at
home and abroad.

For today and tomorrow and quite possibly a day or two after that, I am going to enjoy not having George W. Bush
in the White House and dream the dream of what could possibly be a different tomorrow.  I am going to be proud
of the small part I had in history.  I hope you will, too.

http://amybranham.blogspot.com/2009/01/to-gold-star-families.html
Search GSFSO
TO THE GOLD STARS