Support Our Troops... Bring them Home

The DuPage Peace through Justice Coalition acknowledges the idealism with which so many young people enter the military, and the terrible pain of families with loved ones fighting in Iraq. To honor the humanity of our young people, however, we must hold the military accountable for its exploitive recruitment practices, and for misusing our idealistic sons and daughters in this war that violates the principles we raised them to believe in.

Supporters of the war often accuse the anti-war movement of not supporting the troops. Let’s examine that accusation! It is not the anti-war movement that is endangering the lives of US soldiers in an unjust, illegal, unnecessary, and immoral war. It is the Bush administration.

Those of us who have been working long and hard for peace have ample reason not to trust the military with the well-being of our young men and women, as evidenced by the following...

1. The military has shown an unconscionable disregard for the health concerns of those who put their lives on the line in the first Gulf War.
2. The Bush administration has proposed a $25 billion cut in veterans benefits.
3. While allocating hundreds of billions of dollars to fund this war, congress has cut funding for jobs, housing, healthcare and other programs. These deprivations drive many young men and women, particularly African American, Latino and white working class youth, to join the military for lack of other viable options.

In opposing the war on Iraq, we are doing the most important thing that can be done to support the troops: we are demanding that they be taken out of this unnecessary and illegal war, and brought home to us safely – now! – before one more drop of blood is shed.

These are only some of the reasons why, in the peace movement today we say, "We support our troops – bring them home!"