SIVACRACY.NET

I am an Army retiree who is now a full-time graduate student. There are no magnets on my car, but I do have an Army Retiree license plate frame and IL veteran's plates. They were there before 9/11 though.

I am also the father of son who is enlisted. This country sent him to war once already and his Division returns in Oct. While he was gone the 1st time his mother (my-ex) and I sent him and his unit things all the time that they could not get. We spent 100s of $$ on postage alone, besides what we had in the packages. I also wore a red, white & blue ribbon everyday that his unit was deployed and there is still one on my backpack until they ALL come home.

I too was, and am, anti-war. Although I didn't attend any demonstrations I still had many people call me traitor, unpatriotic, say I didn't support the troops, and so on—while my son was deployed!

Honestly, and I don't mean anything derogatory by this, but I've come to believe that it is almost impossible for anyone to actually support the troops unless one of their loved ones is one, or they have been one themselves. Otherwise, it is simply some good feeling that comes from any "charity" work and/or general patriotic feelings.

What I would like to see as support for the troops is for an actual conversation in the national media with the parents and other loved ones of our troops. There really are a lot more of us that feel differently than what is generally portrayed as being quite happy with the sacrifices our loved ones have gone through for George W's principled plans. I, for one, am quite disgusted at the sacrifices my son and our family were "asked" to make for this country. After giving over 20 years of my life to "support and defend the Consitution" of the US I feel completely and utterly betrayed by my nation and its citizens.