Memoirs written in prose of Sergeant Robertson, Damon M. USMC while in Iraq | ...with frequent appearances of King Hammurabi.
If you are new to this journal, make sure to start reading in chronological order by scrolling down to the bottom of the oldest post in October 2004. Damon's letters from August 20th, 2004 - October 23rd, 2004 were all added to this blog on Oct. 23rd, 2004. All subsequent letters are posted in real time.
Saturday, October 23, 2004
Dear Family and Friends: An interesting comment was made in response to Hammurabi 2.0, that this iraq war is a big mess and that we've only made more enemies by being here. It is a mess. No one promised me, you, or anyone else that this conflict would in any way resemble the proverbial rose garden. War is war. It is not a game of Jenga, where careful and slight moves make for no messes. The mess? We didn't make it. This place has been a hotbed of violence *forever*. That's one of the things I"m getting at with my Hammurabi dialogues. They center around the concepts of violent legacy and our current inability to see where our actions will lead us. Yes, we could have chosen to launch a few tomahawks at Iraq instead of invading. Placate the bloodlust of the media. But we're here now, involved in the mess that was in place well before our country existed. We didn't start the fire. As to whether or not we've only added fuel, even this is debateable. A good friend reminded me recently of a quote by Edmund Burke, something like "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." No matter how uncomfortable this all seems to you (remember you only see it on TV; since being here my doubts regarding "any good we're doing" have pretty much disappeared), I know for a fact that the suicide bombers and insurgents are the sort of people that are long overdue for the "extended dirt nap." Yesterday, YESTERDAY, another vehicle borne IED left a mark here. Insurgents only killed Iraqis. Great guys. Let them be. Sure. Let's whine about how long we need to stay here so the press will influence the people and the people will whine for us and eventually we'll come home (sooner?). Let the rapists and torturers sweep back into power. Let the men who justify the deaths of iraqi school children with considerations of "collateral damage" take the country back before the citizens have a chance to sieze the dream we have offered them. "Dream" is the word the parents here use. They don't believe that it will ever happen for them, but you should see how they hope for their lovely children. ... Thank you for responding, those of you who did. It makes me feel like I'm talking to people and not talking at an audience, or a brick wall. ... thank you for your love and prayers. you are free to disagree. :D
# posted by chevas @ 7:43 PM 