Tinige'-hu nu i PDN put i draft
Letter I just wrote to the PDN with regards to the draft. Its a little choppy because I had a word limit.
The situation in Iraq is getting worse. Americans are dying at an increased rate, 1,048 dead as I’m writing this, 909 since G.I. George Bush said “Mission Accomplished.” More and more Iraqis are dying, tens of thousands over the last year. Each time a missile misses its target, or a bullet is fired into another innocent victim out of fear, more anger is created, fueling more violence against America’s illegal occupation.
Faced with this quagmire and with both Democratic and Republican Senators making regular comparisons to Vietnam, the Bush administration has finally been forced to admit to they may have actually made mistakes about planning for peace in Iraq. How does the administration plan to solve the Iraq debacle? Other then vague troop shifting plans and building at least 12 military bases in Iraq, there are whispers, memos and appropriations in the air which hint that the compulsory draft will return next year.
The plundering and controlling of Iraq to serve American military and economic interests is a tough job, and at present resource levels with more than 700 bases around the world, the US military is stretched too thinly to conquer a land of 25 million people. Legislation is currently in the House and Senate which provides $28 million to have the draft reinstated by June of next year. Public campaigns have already begun to quietly fill draft and appeals board slots which have been empty for decades. Many already feel however that a sort of draft is taking place, with the Bush Administration using the National Guard to cover for their lack of planning. Almost 50% of US troops in Iraq right now are from America’s newly christened “inter” National Guard.
I for one hope that the draft will be reinstated. But not to teach patriotism as one Senator has suggested, and not because I believe this war was justified, instead because of the chance it might give to those of us who believe Guam’s continuing colonial status is unfair and must be fixed.The drafting of Chamorros is something that activists on Guam can use to publicize the unfair treatment that Guam receives from the United States, one aspect being as Congressman Ben Blaz put it “that we are equal in war, but unequal in peace.” If the draft returns I hope that I or someone with thinking similar to my own is drafted. Because the moment I learn that I am going to be forced to fight for a country that tried to eradicate my language, abandoned the Chamorros on Guam in 1941, and still refuses to make use equal through incorporation or independence, I will immediately fly to Guam and make sure my drafting becomes a massive legal case. Through whatever means I can find I will make sure that everyone in Guam and the United States knows that to keep Guam a colony is bad enough, but to make Chamorros and others on Guam fight America’s dirty little wars is immoral and should be illegal.
The situation in Iraq is getting worse. Americans are dying at an increased rate, 1,048 dead as I’m writing this, 909 since G.I. George Bush said “Mission Accomplished.” More and more Iraqis are dying, tens of thousands over the last year. Each time a missile misses its target, or a bullet is fired into another innocent victim out of fear, more anger is created, fueling more violence against America’s illegal occupation.
Faced with this quagmire and with both Democratic and Republican Senators making regular comparisons to Vietnam, the Bush administration has finally been forced to admit to they may have actually made mistakes about planning for peace in Iraq. How does the administration plan to solve the Iraq debacle? Other then vague troop shifting plans and building at least 12 military bases in Iraq, there are whispers, memos and appropriations in the air which hint that the compulsory draft will return next year.
The plundering and controlling of Iraq to serve American military and economic interests is a tough job, and at present resource levels with more than 700 bases around the world, the US military is stretched too thinly to conquer a land of 25 million people. Legislation is currently in the House and Senate which provides $28 million to have the draft reinstated by June of next year. Public campaigns have already begun to quietly fill draft and appeals board slots which have been empty for decades. Many already feel however that a sort of draft is taking place, with the Bush Administration using the National Guard to cover for their lack of planning. Almost 50% of US troops in Iraq right now are from America’s newly christened “inter” National Guard.
I for one hope that the draft will be reinstated. But not to teach patriotism as one Senator has suggested, and not because I believe this war was justified, instead because of the chance it might give to those of us who believe Guam’s continuing colonial status is unfair and must be fixed.The drafting of Chamorros is something that activists on Guam can use to publicize the unfair treatment that Guam receives from the United States, one aspect being as Congressman Ben Blaz put it “that we are equal in war, but unequal in peace.” If the draft returns I hope that I or someone with thinking similar to my own is drafted. Because the moment I learn that I am going to be forced to fight for a country that tried to eradicate my language, abandoned the Chamorros on Guam in 1941, and still refuses to make use equal through incorporation or independence, I will immediately fly to Guam and make sure my drafting becomes a massive legal case. Through whatever means I can find I will make sure that everyone in Guam and the United States knows that to keep Guam a colony is bad enough, but to make Chamorros and others on Guam fight America’s dirty little wars is immoral and should be illegal.
Comments
Many of your posts are in Chamorro which I and most Chamorros who would we interested in these issues are not able to read. I feel if you really want to increase awareness and create interest in us about these issues then you should post them in both English and Chamorro.
I get the feeling that you are posting in Chamorro to just show off that you can write in Chamorro. While that is fine what about us that don't understand Chamorro? How can you reach us if you are to busy showing off?