First I would like to thank the wonderful, mindful, enlightened
students at Winthrop University for inviting me to speak at their
rally to "Support the Troops".

I read Mr. Keith Coopers comment about supporting the war in Iraq.
These students were not all antiwar protestors, but actually
supporting our troops, yes, by ending a war that cannot be won, a war
so many have died fighting. A war that has protected us from nothing,
a war that has torn the world apart.

Mr. Cooper states without the war in Iraq we would be dealing with
more 9/11s. Mr. Cooper needs to know that 9/11 was actually a group
of terrorist from Saudi, this administration is in bed with Saudi, so
how can killing thousands of innocent Iraqi people justify revenge
against the Saudis? Iraq at no time had a hand in 9/11, Bush has
already made this point clear. This administration states he wanted to
"liberate" a nation of people governed by a tyrant, now ths
adminsitration tells the American people the Iraqis are terrorist?
Which is it? Or did this administration actually create terrorism in
this country? Think about it!

I see where Mr. Cooper supports the war and the troops there fighting
Bush's war, I would then ask, how do you support the troops? Do you
or a group send food to the troops that are so poorly fed? Do you
send body armour that our troops were not issued upon deployment to
fight this war? Do you spend time at the VA hospitals with the
parents or spouses of those soldiers that no longer have arms, legs,
burned beyond repair, talk to these soldiers coming back for the 3rd,
4th, and even 5th tour of a war zone that have lost thier souls and
will to live? Do you provide mentoring to the children that have lost
a mother or father? Do you cut the grass, repair a leaky faucet or
even call the spouse of a deployed military person to let them know
you are there should they ever need anything? Do you pray daily that
these men and women return safely to the homes and families they
left...Do you visit the graves of the 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, year
olds that did not live long enough to taste life? Do you offer comfort
to the mother who visits her sons grave daily hoping her love is
stronger than him being dead and hoping that there is the possiblity
of willing him back to life? What is it that you do Mr. Cooper and
the many of those that support the troops, or do you mean to say you
simply support the war?

I cannot be anything other than angry when I see so many unenlightened
people speaking for a war that they truely have not taken the time to
study the dynamics leading up to this war and continuing to kill more
of our children, more innocent Iraqi children and destroying hundreds
of thousand of lives.

I am sure Mr. Cooper and those supporting the war would say the
military is voluntary and these young men and women have made a choice
to go to war....No, Mr. Cooper, this is not the case. yes, these
brave young people did join the military to protect this nation, the
problem is this nation was not in harms way, under attack or
threatened by Iraq nor Iran. This administration has without thought
sent our military blindly and carelessly into a war without not only
an exit plan, but without a plan for extended stay and for that
matter, without even an entry plan. As I recall, weeks after the
invasion the Mission Accommplished speach was given by Bush...my son
died 2 years after the mission was accomplished. My beautiful,
loving, brave, honorable 20 year old son, PFC Steven Sirko was laid to
rest April 27, 2005. Steven had a mission, he wanted to teach school,
he wanted to work with troubled teens, his mission was not accomplished.

Yes, Mr. Cooper, my son and thousand like him have had life ripped
away by an administration that has no reguard for life. My son did
something this president has never done, my son honorably served his
country, he did not hid, he stood as man, even at 20, my son was a
man. Did your president do this during Nam, another war that
senselessly took lives, no Mr. Cooper, he did not, he hid, just as he
is doing now. Bush is hiding in the fears of so many Americans, so
many uninformed Americans, as yourself Mr. Cooper.

So, Mr. Cooper, please support the war, send your children to the
recruiter, your children are too young you say? Enlist yourself, too
old you say? Charlotte NC is just minutes away, there are plenty of
civilian jobs available to you that will allow you to support the war,
be deployed to Iraq and protect this nation. Please support the war
Mr. Cooper, go to Iraq so that a young soldier can came back in your
place, so a mother can hold her son, a child can play catch with her
father, a young wife can be held by the man she loves and again dream
of a life with him, a husband does not have to tell his child thier
mommy died in a far off country and allow this young woman to once
again kiss her child goodnight.

Do this Mr. Cooper and I too will support the war, I will pray you
return safely.

In Peace,
Summer Lipford
Proud Mother of PFC Steven Sirko
Needlessly taken from my life
April 17, 2005
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Gold Star Opinion- Support the Troops- Summer Lipford