Hey Mel

I've read all of Heaths notes over the past several months. I find them extremely interesting and i especially like the pix he includes.

i would never want to appear to be critical, disrespectful or unsupportive of his and others' military service for our country. Afterall his butt is on the line, literally, while mine sits in front of this computer.

This most recent note, however, brings in focus something that has me bothered me from reading his missives to you. That is; I wonder and question the source of the information he gets about what goes on here in the US.

First of all, I think the majority of Americans are not in favor of the War in Iraq. That is different from the War in Afganistan. Moreover, that most Americans support the military, just not the Iraq war. Actually i think the recent elections speak to that. Although I do think SoD Rumsfield should resign. I voted Democratic down the line, but I do not support any insurgents.

Secondly, I not sure of what investigations he is suggesting are suppose to begin. I do hope we start getting better oversite on all facets of our government, especially on the spending of our tax money. I think Bush and Company have violated our Constitution but I would not be in favor of any big Impeachment investigation/trial. Nothing would be accomplish by it.

I also don't think he's going to see or should expect to see a bunch of protesters when he lands back in the USA. Least I hope not.

Lastly, I honestly think most people believe that Kerry flubbed a joke that he was trying to jab at Bush and not the military. I believe that anyway.

Thx Mel for sharing Heath's letters home. I enjoy them and i hope it won't be long before he is here

Tom

Thanks for your questions Tom -

For some of your questions I do not have answers - so if you don't mind I'm going to forward your response to him... I'll post his response here when I get it.

Mel...

That'a fine that you're going to pass along my comments.. I was going to suggest that and even thought of writing him directly. However, honestly and cynically, I didn't want my name to show up on some NSA (Security not stroke ) or no-fly list.

i am not one to debate our current War in iraq, but I do not want to be mischaracterized because I am a Democrat and I do support our troops, I just disapprove of the Prez's handlling of it among many other things.

Tom

Mel,

I, too, have enjoyed Heath's letters home.

I agree with about 95%, if not all, of what Tom said up above. I also want to add that I think everyone learned a lesson from Vietnam---that we don't treat our returning soldiers the way they were back then when they came home from that war. We don't make them the scapegoat for policies from Washinton.

Any investigations that I've heard about have to do with how come we haven't enacted any of the recommendations of the 9/11 commission, not of the soldiers in the field.

I frankly don't think anyone---most democrats included---just want to cut and run from Iraq. We've made a mess over there and we have to clean it up. It's the only moral thing to do.

Jean

Hey Mel,

I just had a look at the photo in the gallery. There is a large rock on the other side of the road from Heath so I presume it was a similar one to that that the vehicle hit. In Australia we call them "gibbers" (pronounced with a soft "g" as in girl). The phrase "done in by a gibber" would be a suitable caption to this photo.

I won't buy into the political debate, that is for you US citizens to work out as part of your democratic process. I do hope that when the conflict finally ends and the troops come home it is nothing like the homecoming for the Vietnam Veterans, that was a real case of blaming the wrong people for the war and the resulting chaos.

Sue.

Tom - Here is Heath's response for you:

>I wonder and question the source of the information he gets about what goes >on here in the US.

I get my information mostly from the internet. I read the Wall Street Journal for mainstream conservative. I read the Washington Post for mainstream liberal. I read Michelle Malkin for conservative meat thrower. I read Muck Raker for liberal meat thrower (used to be the dailykos, but he throws too many ad hominem attacks). I also subscribe to Strategic Forecasting and read Captains Quarters for centrist. If that sounds like a fair bit of reading, it can be. I do watch about 15 minutes a day of CNN/Fox, whatever is playing on Armed Forces Network News channel. I cannot watch much more because there is so much crap on.

>Moreover, that most Americans support the military, just not the Iraq war.

That is tough to do at this point. What do you tell all the guys who had buddies die? And all of us that gave up years of our life to get Iraq to where it is now? What do you tell all the moms who sent sons who did not come back? (Sheehan is a kooky anomaly, I have met more than a few widows and moms, they do not want to lose any progress their children gave their lives for)

The problem at this point is that a lot of the military has given a lot of blood and effort, which means that the Iraq war is a judgment on the US military. And trying to say that the job you are doing is a failure, but we support you is saying that you support the military in the same way you support a losing football team. But I will leave the analogy there, as you pick it apart, you can see the flaws. No one dies when a football team loses.

>I voted Democratic down the line, but I do not support any insurgents.

We are all responsible for the actions of our hirelings. You voted Democratic and yet you hope that they will not go through with major items of the agenda they campaigned on. The Vietnam war ended when a Democratic congress was elected and immediately passed a military budget de-funding that conflict. So, you are essentially saying that someone could vote Democratic at the end of the Vietnam war without supporting the North Vietnamese. I am not saying that the Republicans did all that great of a job, especially in the last several years. Just understand that voting is a blunt club and that sometimes you end up taking the lesser of two evils. You cannot wish away part of the consequences of your actions simply because it is uncomfortable.

>Lastly, I honestly think most people believe that

>Kerry flubbed a joke that he was trying to jab at Bush

>and not the military.

I know Kerry meant it. I also believe that Allen knew what Macaca meant. Either both meant it or neither did. Any other position marks you as a rabid partisan. Do you think that any modern politician makes an off the cuff remark without vetting? I just wonder how many focus groups they did before Bush said "nuclar."

Heath

Thx Mel..

For getting such a quick turn around in communications with your brother.

I want to respond to Heath. I will send my reply to you and if you would be kind enough to forward it to him along with my email address I would enjoy the opportunity to carry on this discussion with him.

Tom

will do Tom - you can send dirctly to my email listed in my profile if you like

Mel