[Peace] Two by-chance anti-war stories

[Kranich, Kimberlie]

All,

Amid all of the sadness I feel for all of the lost lives, I was happy to
have made a connection today with some "strangers' in Bradford, Arkansas and
wanted to share my stories with you.

I happened to catch CNN at the airport today while in transit and was glued
to their segment entitled, "War's Impact," and their live interview with
Mayor Paul Bunn of Bradford, Arkansas, population 800. 

Bunn is a husband, father of four, and a businessman. He is also a sergeant
in the 39th Infantry Brigade of the Arkansas National Guard.  He just
returned after a year in Iraq. 

The mayor said he was for the war before we invaded and cited the presence
of "WMDs" as his reason. Now, after returning, he is dead set against it and
said so. When asked about the President's speech and his connection between
911 and the Iraq war, the Mayor responded that the US presence in Iraq IS
the reason for the terrorism in Iraq, i.e the "insurgents."  

He said that the war has decreased his city's grants and has cost him a
police officer and money for city repairs.  He said there is too much need
at home to be spending our money and lives in Iraq.

I was so impressed with what he was saying that I looked up the Mayor's
office telephone number and called to leave a message.

An operator at the Bradford police station answered my call.  They take
calls for the mayor when the office is closed.  The operator took a message
for the mayor for me.  I told her to tell him that I appreciated and
supported what he was saying and thought that it took courage to speak the
way he did.  I told him where I lived and that I was from a town that had
passed an anti-war resolution before we invaded Iraq because I didn't
believe in the money or lives that the war would cost us nor the reasons for
going to war.

The operator said she did not know that the mayor had been on TV.  She then
told me that her husband had just finished serving in Iraq for 11-months in
the Army.  He joined the military as soon as he was eligible to join when he
turned 17, but when he returned from having served his 11-months in Iraq, he
got out as fast as he could when he was given the choice to stay in the
Army, renew his contract or get out, She said it was hard for him to find
work, but he did. They just had a baby in May and her husband was home to
see the birth.  She said while he was in Iraq she couldn't watch the news at
all. I asked her if she had watched the President's speech and she said she
couldn't. It's too painful for her. She said her husband won't talk about
what he experienced over there.  I told her that I was sorry for all of the
wounded and dead US soldiers and the Iraqi mothers and father and children
who are dead and dying.  I wished her and her husband well. She said the
officer would give the Mayor my message on Monday. I left my name and phone
number.  I will talk to him more if he calls me back.

Peace,
kimberlie