dubya, you're leaving the children behind...

Regardless of where you stand on the Iraq war situation, this has to make you stop and think...

i dunno how long the link on Channel 13's website will last, so lemme just cut/paste the story here:

School children get a lesson on soldiers leaving for war

Rich Van Wyk/Education Reporter

Indianapolis, Oct. 8 - Only one person didn't know it really wasn't a Columbus Day celebration. Nine hundred teachers and students pulled a fast one, making Friday Gregory Conley's Day.

A math and science teacher, a friend of students and the father of two small children, he was a man at a loss for words. "How do you say thank you?"

Conely, a sargent in the Army reserves is headed to Iraq.

Students and coworkers have known for weeks, but until Friday kept their emotions under wraps.

This is the second time the Army is calling Conley to duty. After three months in Wisconsin they sent him home. This time he expects to spend more than a year in the war zones of Iraq counseling troops.

"I am completely stunned and overwhelmed how students and staff have shown their support."

Students call Conely a good teacher and a great friend.

And Conely will miss his children as well, all 900 of them.

Reading the story doesn't compare to seeing it on the news (especially since Van Wyk pronounced sargent [sic] correctly) but reading it online sickened me all over again.

Now let's think about this situation for a second: the guy's a teacher, with two small kids, and in addition to this he serves his country in the Reserve. Then go to the Reserve website and take a look at the Mission Statement of the Reserve. Lemme point out a few of the highlights of the Mission of the Reserve and provide some of my own commentary to Dubya:

Maintaining a force that can mobilize rapidly and skillfully at any moment to respond to a crisis or situation, or to defend America's interests at home and abroad.

- George, the key word there is DEFEND, particularly if you're going abroad and sending reservists to do it. Going on a Saddam hunt in the name of 9/11 is OFFENSIVE as both a noun and an adjective.

Implementing national objectives.

- George, weren't you the "No Child Left Behind" guy? Oh yeah, guess now you can change that slogan to "No Teachers Left Behind - We're Sending 'Em To Iraq" - seeing all the kids in the gym hugging and crying and talking about their favorite teacher leaving. Guess it's not your fault George, it's Conley's - by signing on as a Reservist he's decided that he'll be the one to leave the children behind when you want to start wars with other countries

Preserving the peace and security, and providing for the defense of the United States, the Territories, Commonwealths and Possessions, and any areas occupied by the United States.

- George! Once again: the key word is DEFENSE.

Overcoming aggressive acts from nations and terrorist groups that imperil the peace and security of the United States.

- The aggressive acts are coming FROM the United States - we're the ones imperiling the peace and security.

and the last one on the list is the kicker...

Giving back to the community by providing civil support, i.e. food, shelter, safe drinking water and medical attention to our citizens during emergencies and natural disasters.

- The emergencies facing the United States now could probably be resolved if we kept our citizens at home, doing their jobs (those of us that still have them, that is) and stopped trying to bully the rest of the world. While I have no doubt in Sergeant Conley's abilities as a soldier, I suspect that his community/civil support roles would be fulfilled by doing his REGULAR JOB at this time. And as the Reserve motto so eloquently puts it: Army Reserve: It's Not Your Everyday Job - it SHOULDN'T be, but he himself believes he'll be in Iraq for at least a year.

ugh, it's just so damned disgusting...

oh wait, i forgot, Dubya doesn't read the news, so i'm sure he wouldn't read my blog or anything that the Army posted on their website either...oh well...