If some want us to provide asylum for those who were a help to us there, while we're there, fine. Also make DARN sure that these people WERE a help and not a "leak" or hindrance. There are plenty of those over there within the groups trying to provide help. But provide some sort of asylum for them THERE. DON'T bring them here. For those of us who have been directly affected by this war, like my four kids and I, who lost husband and father on Jan. 5, of this year, TO an IRAQI terrorist, to see someone like that here, infuriates me! Not long ago, I saw a Muslim woman and here children while I was out shopping and was suddenly filled with anger and rage. My immediate thought was, WHY ARE THEY HERE WHEN MY HUSBAND NEVER GOT TO COME BACK??? Before this, I never thought such things and was more "compassionate" and sympathetic to others. Now, not as much. As far as I'm concerned, if the political "higher-ups" are screaming for us to get out, then we should. BUT, before we do, we should let the UN know that we'll be doing this, and that since they won't support us we'll be fixing it OUR way and there will be NO repurcussions to how we do it. Then, pull ALL of our people out completely and level the whole place and take Iran while we're at it. Does this sound cruel and callous, because of the "women and children"? Probably, but as far as I can see, MY family has nothing else to lose, but other families do; and those same "children" will grow up to do what their daddies and uncles, and grandfathers, etc. are doing now. I was never like this before, but when you've paid the ultimate sacrifice for people and ESPECIALLY people who just don't get it, it makes it an easier stance to take. Sorry if I offend, but I'm offended that those people killed my husband and my four kids father.

I agree. I think America needs immigrants whose primary loyalty is to the US Constitution - not to replacing the Constitution with the Koran. We don't need to import the culture of jihad and bombings into the United States- that kind of stuff is not going to make the US a better country. I do not feel this way about all Islamic immigrants. Albanian immigrants are Islamic but obviously dedicated to quick assimilation, but Islamic Arabs generally do not seem to be.

If you are not willing to assimilate and your goal is to replace the current system with an Islamic system- you do not belong here- we don't want to end up like Europe.

Again, if Islam was like all the other religions, just people going to their mosques and minding their own business, I would have nothing to say. But it ain't like that.

Only Islam has countries under Islamic law - Pakistan, Iran, many countries in Asia and Africa. No other religion has this problem- India does not have Hindu law- Israel does not have Jewish law, the US does not have Christian law.

You are a racist, plain and simple. The only difference between you and "those people" is that you were lucky enough to be born in America. Just because they look and sound different doesn't mean that they aren't human.

I'm not a psychiatrist, Audrey, so all I can give are condolences in your loss, great thanks for his sacrifice, and a vague understanding of what I have observed over time, beginning with my own experience in the Armed Forces back in 1971. Full of pride and patriotism and coming from a family who has served every war beginning with WW1, I enlisted, totally full of a gung ho pride to serve my country in its dire need. Now we look back and know that Viet Nam was neither dire nor a need aside from the military industrial complexes of the USA and Soviet Union to test their latest weaponry against each other, at a cost of tens of thousands of lives lost and billions of dollars. Depending on the individual, how they will handle combat mentally will determine how they think for the rest of their lives. Some may think that those who were lost were better off than those who have survived and returned home with the horrors of combat invading their dreams night after night. Their loved ones faced with a stranger they're afraid of, rather than the person they knew before. Several friends of mine who survived unscathed physically are no longer the friends I remember. One functions as a loving husband and father, breadwinner, rarely a smile crosses his lips and he's often observed in the thousand yard stare. The other re-enlisted for three tours because he loved what he did. A tunnel rat. He was addicted to the rush of rounding a corner, anticipating death and being the one to deliver it with a knife or .45 issue Colt, or strangling and beating the enemy to death with his bare hands. Not the same happy go lucky kid we knew before.

To share my own thoughts with you now. I wonder how many of these blowhard republicans and conservatives spent time in the Armed Forces. Maybe I am being too harsh. It's my experience that the ones that never served are usually the loudest, some in bars who claimed to be green berets, SEALS, etc. I have met more SEALS and special forces personnel in one bar than in my entire enlistment. I knew they were all B.S. because the real ones, and those who served in the regular forces as well, rarely talk about it other than to say when they served, where and in what battalion or company, ship or squadron; and it ends there.

Remember, you are not alone in your feelings, yet there are muslim Americans and like it or not, they are protected under the same Constitutional Amendments that protect your rights as well. I take issue with anyone who believes they have a god given right to enter my country and kill thousands of my countrymen. Retribution has not been served as far as I am concerned and I am truly sorry that your husband lost his life in a skirmish resulting from lies contrived by Bush, whose family has business dealings with the Saud and Bin Laden families of Saudi Arabia. Am I crazy or can't anyone else see that is why he did not retaliate against Saudi Arabia?

And I am tired about talking about what should have been done because we all know it. It is up to the Democrats now to allow the CIA to redeem itself, enough said.

And this, ladies and gentlemen, is the reason why the US should not create bogus wars like Iraq, or Vietnam. Remember how Vietnam was based on another lie? The one about how Americans were attacked by Vietnamese when in fact it never happened.

And off we went to Vietnam and lost over 58000 soldiers for nothing.

The same in Iraq. No one in Iraq asked for help. They knew that Saddam was doing what he had to do to keep the country together. And Americans know Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11, nor anything to do with the mentality behind those who committed 9/11, nor did it help any 9/11 terrorist in any way, shape or form.

And now look at the monsters we're creating here in the US because of the Iraq war. Bitter widows who have lost all sense of perspective, injured soldiers some of whom will eventually take out their anger on someone, Americans who reserve the right to discriminate or attack anything that looks or smells like an Arab, a nation divided against itself.

There are things that time simply cannot heal. The loss in Vietnam and the charade in Iraq will have an accumulative effect and eventually this anger is going to have to express itself. It already has with the immigration issue: Raw anger against an entire class of people who are being accused of nothing less than undermining the well-being of the US.

Iran has still to pay a price for the American hostages it held despite the 100,000 Iranians already tortured and killed by a man the US had in power in that country for 26 years.

Who knows what Syria is guilty of but all a US soldier's widow needs is to hear from their government that they, too, are bad and need to be punished dearly.

And no matter how Chavez has helped Americans afford gas prices during the winter time he, too, deserves a good licking for who knows what reason.

When you're as angry as this US soldier widow, who needs reasons to keep on killing?

Goodness gracious, why is this cruel world so against us?! We need to let them have it so they can leave us alone, blah, blah, blah, fucking blah.

s34738:

You are a racist, plain and simple. The only difference between you and "those people" is that you were lucky enough to be born in America. Just because they look and sound different doesn't mean that they aren't human.

There is only one race and it is the Human Race. I would be what one may call and "Ethnic Equal Opportunity Offender" because I think you're all a bunch of nuts, especially any and all religous aboriginals. From Jew, to Christian to Muslim to Hindu, you name it. You come up with a preposterous idea of this almighty deity that has many conflicting attributes about its temperament, psych, and very existence and, in often pompous condescending self righteousness you treat atheists or those not of your belief with the same sniggering attitude of a spoiled child; in direct contrast to what your so called 'faith' warns you against. By your own actions do you prove that your god is a myth, no different from the thousands that have preceeded it. When they are all gone is when the world will see peace.

Audrey, I hear where you are coming from and I feel your pain.

I have four children that have all served in this Bush made fiasco.

My oldest son made me a Gold Star Mother, leaving behind a wife and two children. My one daughter was on a truck bringing wounded back to the hospital where she was a surgeon and they hit a roadside bomb and she lost her leg. She and her husband are adjusting to a different life style.

I too went through some phases of anger but then decided I couldn't live my life like that anymore and sought help.

Our part of the country has a very large Loasian, and Somalian population. I harbor a resentment against the Somalians as they don't seem to care that we have given them refuge from a war torn county, they just want all the freebies that we can hand out. I have found the majority of them to be very rude. I try not to let this bother me, but once again it stares you right in the face and you must deal with it.

I thank you for the service your husband gave to this country, and hang in there.

Audreysm:

Not long ago, I saw a Muslim woman and here children while I was out shopping and was suddenly filled with anger and rage. My immediate thought was, WHY ARE THEY HERE WHEN MY HUSBAND NEVER GOT TO COME BACK???

Islam is a religion, and there are a lot of Muslims in the USA, most of which were born here and are AMERICAN CITIZENS, so I do not know where you get off equating a random Muslim with some asylum seeker who "got to come here", as if its happening off your back. Your husband was not forced into duty, he chose to to participate in this war, and chose to help attack a country under false pretenses. Who is the real victim here? Perhaps the people you need to blame are the people who profit from war, and stop making disgusting comments about bombing Iran, newsflash woman, Iranians want to be left alone!!! We wont leave them alone because we want access to their markets which they will not give us. You are so selfish and so deluded as if you are the only person in the world who has lost a loved one, you are ready to bomb an entire country based on douche bag "facts" much like the "facts" on Iraq. Read the bible, it says if you live by the sword you will also die by the sword.

Hum-m-m-m you have never been in the service or married to a service person have you?

Military people don't CHOOSE what they will or will not participate in. All 4 of my children didn't like this war, felt it was wrong, but they served because they had a committment to fulfill.

Yes, they chose to be part of the military by going to West Point or being in the Reseves and the Guards to help pay for college, so they were OBLIGATED to fulfill the contract. You don't question the CiC about the reasons he is starting a war. If his military advisors can't do that, then you as a lower ranked person go to war.

I don't know the circumstances behind this posters husbands military obligation, but you aren't anymore informed than she, by your statements.

I can understand her rage. Like I said in my first post I have a thing about Somalians. When a Somali lady rams you from behind with her shopping cart and says get out of my way this is my aisle -- I see red -- I figure where the hell do you get off acting like this? My sons fought in your country so you all could come here as refuges -- learn to mix in with the locals.

I don't want them here, either.

The problem with the US is we let too many people in regardless of whether or not they can be productive members of society.

The policy should be changed to say "sure, come on in IF you can hit the ground running." Immigrants need to have a skill, a degree, something they can offer the country without being a burden on the state.

I, for one am tired of the H1-B visa program. That program has done more to lower IT wages than anything else I know of. It's wrong. Qualified Americans born here deserve the best jobs. Given the choice between equally qualified people, I will always hire an American over a foreigner simply because I want my countrymen to have the best they can. Outsourcing is a sin and companies that do it just to save a few bucks do not have America's best interest at heart, only their wallets.

Yeah, I hate ill educated, entitled, lazy, rude people. We should send them all back from where they belong. Oh, whoops, they were born here and so were their great-great-5X grandparents. They take their liberty and freedom for granted, they don't bother to vote or get jobs or mow their freakin lawns. Sorry ladies, but immigrants in America don't have a monopoly on stupidity. Several people here on this thread have proven that fact.

Well, Lewis -- I sure hope your tongue was in your cheek when you posted, eh????

I don't think anybody is saying immigrants are stupid -- I do feel the some of the ones I know take things for granted -- and expect alot from the system that put them here. They don't pay taxes for 7 years, wouldn't you like that little benefit? Hell, I would just like to have the amount taken from my check each month given to me once -- wow-hoo what a shopping spree:-)

What about the Somali female cashiers at Target Super Stores that refused to handle meat because they couldn't touch pork? They were given special lanes to checkout in so that none of the groceries went through their lanes. I am sure there were alot of Target employees that didn't like the jobs or portions of their jobs they were asked to do but they did them. One of the jobs my high school grandson has there is cleaning the restrooms -- heck the company doesn't even supply rubber gloves, that is at his expense if he wants to use them, but these women couldn't touch a package of bacon, so get a special checkout lane -- why do you suppose we have this resentment to immigrants --well Duh.

My GRANDPARENTS came from Russia and Finland -- so I can't even claim Daughters of the American Resvolution status, but I don't know of anytime they weren't very proud to be here. We are multi-lingual in our family but that wasn't our grandparent's choice -- they felt we should be americans in everyway and forget the 'old country' ways. I see nothing wrong with wanting your next generation to keep your traditions, language etc, but at some point if you are making you home here you should try to at least speak the language.

We have a high number of immigrants in our area do to a program that the Department of Agriculture has that benefits some of the big companies. Last Christmas we hosted a number of white South African neighbors that are here under that program. It was a marvelous experience, with the exchange of the customs. I am glad people can be given this chance, especially if they want to be here. I resent though being given a one fingered salute while being hollered at in a foreign language and being almost run over by a big mercedes - all because she didn't know how to back up and and I wasn't getting my groceries in the little VW bug fast enough to suit her. Ah-h-h-h to own a big gas guzzler like that:-)

I'm thinkin' the thread went a wee bit astray, but ...


Audreysm, if ya don't wanna have people from another country comin' to the goooey ol' U.S.A., that's good and fine and nice. Just make sure yo president and his veep don't get the itch to attack with NO cause.

Ain't it a shame Americans have to pay for BUSH/Cheney sins

Ain't that the truth, PatinJapan ---

If you have been following the Doonesbury comic strip, you will see just how intune that artist is to the political winds that are blowing:-)

No laughing matter, just so sad......

sargesmom:

Military people don't CHOOSE what they will or will not participate in. All 4 of my children didn't like this war, felt it was wrong, but they served because they had a committment to fulfill.

Yes, they chose to be part of the military by going to West Point or being in the Reseves and the Guards to help pay for college, so they were OBLIGATED to fulfill the contract. You don't question the CiC about the reasons he is starting a war. If his military advisors can't do that, then you as a lower ranked person go to war.

Yes military people DO CHOOSE! Are they puppets??? They not only choose to join, but they also choose to follow orders which are morally wrong. People who choose not to participate in morally wrong wars go AWOL. So which is more important to you and yours lady? I guess a little jail time and "shame" from the army is a fate worse than death? Ive heard these tired excuses you state, before and its always the same damn thing, you are more concerned about reputation, than you are of human life. So YES they DO CHOOSE, to kill people rather than walk away. I wont address the rest of your ongoing rant against Thai and Somalis because you are obviously racist.