Hmmm.....

We have many official "government watchers" also called spys in this country. There is the NSA, CIA, Military Intelligence, etc, etc, etc.

Stories swirl all over the media regarding spying on US citizens in their own homes by using phone company records, trapping internet communications, et al. My hubby and I always end our phone conversations by wishing our invisible spy, Joe, a pleasant day (evening, night - you get the picture.) I often laugh saying that an ice cream truck with a really tall antenna can often be seen in places I frequent - keeping tabs on me. Why the paranoia? Simply put, I have a really big mouth and plenty opinions on how to operate in a democracy in time of war.

Readers to this blog can't help but determine that I am against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Shoot, I post pictures and give the rant from my perspective frequently. I have literally dozens of copies of letters that I have sent elected representatives expressing my views and I always send them with proper contact information. When I don't get an answer, I am frequently known to resend the letter. My first letter campaign was about outdated body armor that was issued to protect our soldiers in battle. I was given polite platitudes from most reps who responded...making me even more angry.

You see, each and every American is $30,000+ in debt, in large part because of the defense budget and the "emergency supplemental" bills that have paid for our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. As an accountant, I am trained to assess the effectiveness of budgetary expenditures. I think that most of our money is poorly spent. And like every other taxpayer in this country, I contribute to the very large pot that supports the wars...how the US represents itself in the world, how we trade off the often promised "peace dividend" to wage more wars, etc. And it makes me both angry and concerned.

As a Mom, I have a kid in harms way. You bet your sweet butt that I wish to see him protected. It isn't good enough to have a Senator write back "we are trying" to get proper gear to the soldiers we sent to face bullets and bombs. I DON'T AGREE WITH PRE-EMPTIVE WAR...as a matter of fact, I think that ALL WAR is inherently evil. I respect my kid's choice to give something of himself for his country - but I wish it would have been with the Peace Corps as opposed to the Military. That is an opinion..and was not a demand to him. Unlike so many politicians, we were able to disagree - agreeably. We are able to respect our differences...and celebrate the fact that we both work to change our country and the world for the better in our own ways.

Why the rant...that started out with spying and ended up with an airing of family matters? Simply put, this blog had a visitor today - from Pentagon.mil. I think their time would be better spent doing their job - ensuring that the troops are properly supplied, educated and cared for than wasting their time looking at the blog of an Army Mom who disagrees with the current political leanings of this country and sets about in legal ways to sway public opinion and bring about change.

Should you visit again...and choose not to read this entire (and very long post) - I will condense it for you:

BRING OUR TROOPS HOME NOW. TAKE CARE OF THEM WHEN THEY GET HERE. NEVER SENT THEM INTO HARM'S WAY AGAIN BASED UPON THE POORLY FRAMED INTELLIGENCE AND/OR LIES THAT HAVE COST THE LIVES OF SO MANY GOOD AND HEROIC CITIZENS...HERE AND IN IRAQ.