The War

I am very aware that many have very strong feelings on this subject. Why just within my circle of friends I have all the extremes and we won't even talk about the wide range of feeling among the diverse group that is my family.. it is rare I get to share my true feelings it is rare I get to put them into words  so stifled is my own voice buried behind the smile of political correctness that  I feel at times I have not had a strong emotions...... or worse yet it has been expressed in odd places in odd ways. The great blog incident is one of those and at the time I was so angry I couldn't see straight but that involved my husband and I am fiercely protective of what is mine own circle so.... a friend of mine who is against the war raised good points at the time as always I knew our views were different and I do believe that differences among people make our bond stronger and I do consider her a friend but did I really speak the truth? I didn't but at the time I was wrought with emotion over the miss use of my husbands hard work. I was angry and there is a ding in our friendship...... one that will fade with time and certainly not destroy it but it is there and I am still angry but not just at my friend at all the anti war protesters  yes I am angry with anti war sentiments.... does that make me a republican or evil NO !!!!!!!! I am a clearly defined independent and I stand by that.... since when  did this issue become a political one? and if one more person says to me it is allllllllll about politics I will SCREAM !!!!!! do I support the war HELL YES !!!!! why because my husband is in the military NO !!!!!!! this is me I have my own thoughts and opinions free and clear of anyone including my husband... that all said I will lay it out here loud and clear because thanks to the stupid media and stupid anti war protestersthose of us who support the war have no other forum in which to spill our thoughts with out being persecuted.....

I do not want ANY of my children to live in fear..... I do not want ANY of my children to have to wear a Burka or any other type of religious garb unless they choose to do so of their own FREE will... I want my children to have the right to choose their path in this life to be FREE and clear to find their calling to work and live FREE....  To have an education that is FREE of some stupid agenda.....and I get tired of so many asking me how a war over oil... which it is NOT over OIL so far away can mean anything to us..... or effect us..... WAKE UP people the world is a bigger place than we give it credit for their are terrorist cells waiting on our soil to take us over from within and this is not the rambling of some half wit who believes in conspiracy theories. This is the reality we find terrorist cells in this country everyday anti war protesters have forgotten this.......

I have the luxury of seeing the photographs that make it to the news groups cutting room floor. I am blessed to be a photographers wife and I see all of the sanctioned and released photos that never make it to the media outlets. I hear the struggle in my husbands voice on the phone as he describes life in Iraq and I thank god everyday that I am lucky enough to be here in America as an American citizen I lead a charmed life full of luxury for which I am so grateful for everyday and I say this in my prayers every night in addition to my prayers to keep those safe who care about others and my husband . I see the whole thing played out in photographs.. It is a beautiful story through all the pain and agony of the Iraqi people there is hope not the cheesy hallmark greeting hope but real life faith that there is more to life than what it is now. A vision to see what the country could be.......

I want peace I want peace with all my heart I want that all over the world for my children and all the children. For ourselves but I put this question to all the stupid anti war protesters out there including my friends......How can you negotiate for peace with terrorist who want you dead? and what about those who aren't fundamentalist?? what happened to their right to live in peace that is who we fight for........ I would love it  LOVE it if we could pull every American soldier and all our allies home to their countries and do nothing but focus on making our country better... but that is not a reality........ and again how can we negotiate peace with terrorist who want our destruction we can't....... so fighting this war in Iraq I support it for peace so that all the people of Iraq who want a future in their own vision whatever that means for them secular no secular etc. it is of their design but that they are FREE to live how they choose...... because anti war folks it is only when people have food water shelter and education that they begin to understand the world and all the complexities and it is only then when they are FREE to live their lives how THEY choose that they are willing to come to the table and talk peace........ not when we leave the innocent to the hands of terrorist bent on destruction ..... it is ugly the road to peace is ugly.... but another quote comes to mind... only when you struggle for something is it truly appreciated.....

I wonder if we look back to our own fledgling nation when we fought for our own independencefrom England. Was it all pretty and civilized no it was war our fore father fought for our freedom and you know they didn't do it alone other nations stood with us to help us fight for our freedom they gave us men or supplies or diplomatic help... and after wards our country was divided in how it should be run...we even had a civil war and you know what we made it with help and patience and perseverance we made it........ and now we fight to help others earn their independence...... so someday they can be peaceful nations and work to make the world better.... the road to peace is full of pain... but in the end it makes peace all that much sweeter

as for it being about oil... if we had done it for the oil...wouldn't we be reaping the benefits by now???? we as a nation have not used one drop of Iraq oil not one drop not even for our bases or FOB's in Iraq not one drop..... and we repair and guard the oil lines with the Iraq's so that any ANY revenue is for the Iraqi people and for their own rebuilding needs it is the stupid terrorist that continue to bomb the oil lines and refineries because they don't want to see the country rebuilt...and the OIL refineries and line have all remained under Iraqi control the entire time.......IT IS NOT ABOUT OIL !!!!!!!

it is about making sure terrorist have one less safe haven to plot attacks against us innocent Iraq's and all the other nations who oppose fundamentalist.

my husband lays his life on the line everyday he has nothing to hide no hidden agenda he has to take pictures just as the scene is. No tricks no hiding anything just pure documentation.... how many media outlets have to uphold those standards????? Sam does this with pride honor and dedication and he like any of his counterparts in any of the branches of the military deserve my devotion and thanks.

yes I am ranting today no I haven't lost my mind the incident on the news website rattled me my friends attack and lack of support for Sam rattled me..... I have let it fester for tooo long some days I wish I could save myself from myself I didn't handle the situation as elegantly as I would have wanted nor did I express myself as I had hoped to .... I was left rattled and shaken by the whole thing to my core....... and worse yet I couldn't fathom why a friend a friend wouldn't support my husband I didn't ask her to change her stance on the war not at all. all I asked was for support of Sam that his hard work not be miss used and to stand up for that..... the whole thing was awful the whole situation. and it became more than it should have really. I wanted to cry.... why do I let my emotions run me? but if my husband whom I admire greatly for his quiet ability to make huge statements....my husband whom I admire for always standing up for what he believes in....can stand for something then why not me I may need to save myself from myself and I may not have even expressed my self as eloquently here as I had hoped to .... but this is fraught with great emotion for me for so many reasons and so what if I rant it happens rarely and I feel strongly and I can't let this fester any longer I have to vent and so here it is...... and that is it all out there........ messy untidy full of raw emotion...free of any semblance of order..... I have some untidy things about my nature I am driven by emotion and sometimes it seems silly I feel exposed or foolish or imperfect... but for those of you who know me deeply know that is my fear being imperfect.... and that is what this is all about confronting fears and trying new things and new approaches... I may regret the untidiness of this rant tomorrow but at least I won't let it fester anymore........ and hopefully you will all still love me despite my flaws... or lack of perfection....... and maybe I can start to forgive my friend and let go of this stupid piece of baggage that is nagging at my heart....... and maybe in the end it is about Sam and all those like him who stand for something and do the things we cannot......