You'll Love This.

[Quietfire]

I cannot authenticate the source for this email.
Because it has been sent to thousands of people, no one bothered to keep the original email address, as this person wanted Senator Kerry to actually get in touch with him if he had any complaints about this man's statements.

By the time it came to me, it had an additional 60 names attached to it.
Again, no one bothered to attach this guys email address to the letter before fowarding it.

Anyway, its still a great letter. Makes ya feel all warm and fuzzy.
I'm posting this in Open Mic as well.

Peace.




[b][i](This is from a National Guardsman from Denison, Iowa - back on leave)[/i][/b]

As I head off to Baghdad for the final weeks of my stay in Iraq, I
wanted to say thanks to all of you who did not believe the media.
They have done a very poor job of covering everything that has
happened. I am sorry that I have not been able to visit all of you
during my two week leave back home. And just so you can rest at
night knowing something is happening in Iraq that is noteworthy, I
thought I would pass this on to you. This is the list of things
that has happened in Iraq recently: (Please share it with your friends
and compare it to the version that your paper is producing)!!

-Over 4.5 million people have clean drinking water for the first time
ever in Iraq.

-Over 400,000 kids have up to date immunizations.

-Over 1500 schools have been renovated and ridded of the weapons
that were stored there so education can occur.

-The port of Uhm Qasar was renovated so grain can be off loaded from
ships faster.

-School attendance is up 80% from levels before the war.

-The country had it's first 2 billion barrel export of oil in August.

-The country now receives 2 times the electrical power it did before
the war

-100% of the hospitals are open and fully staffed compared to 35%
before the war.

-Elections are taking place in every major city and city councils
are in place.

-Sewer and water lines are installed in every major city.

-Over 60,000 police are patrolling the streets.

-Over 100,000 Iraqi civil defense police are securing the country.

-Over 80,000 Iraqi soldiers are patrolling the streets side by side
with US soldiers.

-Over 400,000 people have telephones for the first time ever.

-Students are taught field sanitation and hand washing techniques to
prevent the spread of germs.

-An interim constitution has been signed.

-Girls are allowed to attend school for the first time ever in Iraq.

-Text books that don't mention Saddam are in the schools for the
first time in 30 years.

Don't believe for one second that these people do not want us there.
I have met many many people from Iraq that want us there and in a
bad way. They say they will never see the freedoms we talk about but
they hope their children will. We are doing a good job in Iraq and I
challenge anyone, anywhere to dispute me on these facts.

So If you happen to run into John Kerry, be sure to give him my
email address and send him to Denison, Iowa. This soldier will set him
straight. If you are like me and very disgusted with how this period
of rebuilding has been portrayed, email this to a friend and let them
know there are good things happening.

Ray Reynolds, SFC
Iowa Army National Guard

Edited July 19, 2004 by Quietfire

[Aloysius]

i think the author of that email (or another email like it, i didn't catch the name on the news) was on Fox News talking about it.

[megamattman1]

It is true that the media should focus more on the good things that are happening. But a deeper question seems to surface to me. That is, what should be thought of when a bad action produces good? Assuming it was a bad action of course.

It might not have been. We could have waited for more support, but then if there's evidence that preemptive action is necessary and no one paticipates, of course we should do it alone.

So the questions go back to the evidence. What the Bush administration really knew and how they conveyed the information. In retrospect we can see what was known, and if they did not ask enough about the uncertainties of the information we had. If there was substantial uncertainty I doubt it'd be justified. (maybe this clarity of thought is one.. along with the cowardice of course.. reason why other countries didn't join)

It seems like the conclusion was that enough was not asked about uncertainty. But not asking could be an honest mistake. So it'd be a bad honest mistake caused good. Or clear on what the information actually was but not on the uncertainties, we could say it was a good honest mistake with a good result.

Or if the information was good we could say it was a good action with good results. But we don't know what the information was to say that and this scenario doesn't seem to match what the reports are concluding. It all depends.

I'd like to think it was a good honest mistake (because they didn't look into the uncertainties but had good evidence) with good results.

It all depends.

But anyway, that's just my 0.02. Wanted to make sure we don't neglect other issues. I agree that we should focus on what is good more.

Edited July 20, 2004 by megamattman1

[conservativecatholic]

Quietfire: That was an outstanding article! I never realized how far we have come since the war... maybe because the liberal news media never speaks positively about it! I believe that this war was necessary and will I always belive so even if weapons are not found. Like Ray Reynolds said, Iraq is much better off after the war than before. May God Bless! By the way, let us not forget the Chaldean rite Catholics who were supressed during Saddam's reign. They are now aloud to practice their faith openly thanks to the liberators! God Bless America!

[cmotherofpirl]

I always think the hype about WMD is interesting.
Let's see - a big superior force is invading your country, and you have banned lethel weapons.

You
a] stick around and wait for the enemy to get your weapons.
b] head to the hills and save your weapons for another day.

Seems like a no-brainer to me.

[Mateo el Feo]

I think the wording of the following claim is a bit confusing:

[b]-Girls are allowed to attend school for the first time ever in Iraq.[/b]

I suspect that he meant to say something like, "Many girls in Iraq are allowed to attend school for the first time in their lives."

Here's some more info on what is happening to Iraqi Education:

[url="http://www.usaid.gov/iraq/accomplishments/education.html"]http://www.usaid.gov/iraq/accomplishments/education.html[/url]

Edited July 21, 2004 by Mateo el Feo