Afghanistan War Column by Mrs. S. Haney
ON THE OCCUPATION OF AFGHANISTAN
In April, 2011, the procession was over nine miles long, from the airport to the church where the funeral was to be held. The remains of the young soldier, cousin to my sister-in-law, were finally coming home from Viet Nam.
My friend is not so fortunate. His only child was one of sixteen killed in Afghanistan when their helicopter crashed in April, 2005; his son's body was not recovered. No long procession will honor his memory; all that is left is a father who is dying inside, grieving for the young son so tragically lost forever.
So, with the downing of the helicopter in Afghanistan, hundreds more families must now face the loss of loved ones. Like the ripples in a pond, the results of these losses spread across the communities and the country; count the numbers of family members and friends who will be marked forever by this tragic wasting of young lives.
And for what? Bin Laden, who died in 2011, (who years ago was declared not important by George Bush)? For more gas or oil? For more money in pockets already overflowing with profits from the war machine in this country? For face-saving at the pentagon and the halls of government?
From Viet Nam through the current wars, every soldier's death diminishes this country; every dollar spent on war is a dollar better spent feeding the hungry, sending a young person to college, repairing bridges and roads, schools and playgrounds. Much worse, every death diminishes the family and friends of those who are killed, who will, as long as their lives endure, wonder about what might have been, had this foolish, unnecessary war never been started.
Mrs. B. R. Haney
Mrs. Haney is a longtime, dedicated member of the Waco Friends of Peace. Her above column appeared in a recent edition of the Waco Spanish/English language newspaper El Tiempo. The activist/editor Mr. Ernesto Fraga kindly permitted us to reprint it on the FOP
website. As we near the 10th anniversary of the occupation, the eloquent words of Mrs. Haney go straight to the heart of this tragedy. Besides her writing, Mrs. Haney bakes cookies faithfully for the FOP meetings each month and has done so for years now. Mrs. Haney is
one the most loyal and hard working of the FOP members. I can recall no time in which she
was not ready for a street protest, or willing to help out when asked. She truly deserved
the FOP Outstanding Member Award 2 years ago. We thank her for this brilliant column and for her constant service for peace.
In April, 2011, the procession was over nine miles long, from the airport to the church where the funeral was to be held. The remains of the young soldier, cousin to my sister-in-law, were finally coming home from Viet Nam.
My friend is not so fortunate. His only child was one of sixteen killed in Afghanistan when their helicopter crashed in April, 2005; his son's body was not recovered. No long procession will honor his memory; all that is left is a father who is dying inside, grieving for the young son so tragically lost forever.
So, with the downing of the helicopter in Afghanistan, hundreds more families must now face the loss of loved ones. Like the ripples in a pond, the results of these losses spread across the communities and the country; count the numbers of family members and friends who will be marked forever by this tragic wasting of young lives.
And for what? Bin Laden, who died in 2011, (who years ago was declared not important by George Bush)? For more gas or oil? For more money in pockets already overflowing with profits from the war machine in this country? For face-saving at the pentagon and the halls of government?
From Viet Nam through the current wars, every soldier's death diminishes this country; every dollar spent on war is a dollar better spent feeding the hungry, sending a young person to college, repairing bridges and roads, schools and playgrounds. Much worse, every death diminishes the family and friends of those who are killed, who will, as long as their lives endure, wonder about what might have been, had this foolish, unnecessary war never been started.
Mrs. B. R. Haney
Mrs. Haney is a longtime, dedicated member of the Waco Friends of Peace. Her above column appeared in a recent edition of the Waco Spanish/English language newspaper El Tiempo. The activist/editor Mr. Ernesto Fraga kindly permitted us to reprint it on the FOP
website. As we near the 10th anniversary of the occupation, the eloquent words of Mrs. Haney go straight to the heart of this tragedy. Besides her writing, Mrs. Haney bakes cookies faithfully for the FOP meetings each month and has done so for years now. Mrs. Haney is
one the most loyal and hard working of the FOP members. I can recall no time in which she
was not ready for a street protest, or willing to help out when asked. She truly deserved
the FOP Outstanding Member Award 2 years ago. We thank her for this brilliant column and for her constant service for peace.
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