May 21, 2012
When the history of our time is written, people will try to explain to each other how the country in which only one Member of Congress voted against a blank check for endless war in Afghanistan (and beyond) in 2001 became the country in which the majority of Republican voters were against the Afghanistan war.
When the history of our time is written, people will try to explain to each other how the country in which leading Democrats provided crucial support for taking the country into a fraudulent war in Iraq became the country in which Connecticut voters would expel Joe Lieberman from the Democratic Party for continuing to support that war, the country in which having opposed that war became a litmus test for getting the Democratic nomination for President.
When people try to explain to each other that transformation in American life, the experiences of veterans who served in Afghanistan and Iraq will take center stage.
More than two million Americans have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. CNN and Fox can focus on what they want, but you can't hide the life experiences of two million people indefinitely.
Just like there's nothing that can turn you against gay-bashing like being friends with a gay person, there's nothing that can turn you against wars of choice like being friends with an anti-war veteran who served in combat.
At the intersection of Cermak and Michigan streets in Chicago yesterday, veterans who served in Afghanistan and Iraq told their stories when they threw back their service medals in protest at NATO leaders, echoing a famous protest against the Vietnam War.
A lot of media coming out of Chicago last night focused on street skirmishes between a handful of apolitical adventurists and the Chicago police. But some media got the real story.
Zach LaPorte, a 28-year-old mechanical engineer from Milwaukee who served in Iraq in 2005 and 2006, said, "I witnessed civilian casualties and civilians being arrested in what I consider an illegal occupation of a sovereign nation," Reuters reported. Former U.S. Army Sergeant Alejandro Villatoro of Chicago, who served during the Iraq 2003 invasion and in Afghanistan in 2011, said:
"There's no honor in these wars...There's just shame."
The local ABC news affiliate in Chicago produced an exemplary story which highlighted the ceremony in which Afghanistan and Iraq veterans threw back their medals, giving veterans the center stage they deserved for telling their stories.
You can learn more about Iraq Veterans Against the War, the group that organized the veterans' anti-war protest, here.
Why Your Ongoing Support Is Essential
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Robert Naiman
Robert Naiman is Policy Director at Just Foreign Policy. Naiman has worked as a policy analyst and researcher at the Center for Economic and Policy Research and Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch. He has masters degrees in economics and mathematics from the University of Illinois and has studied and worked in the Middle East.
When the history of our time is written, people will try to explain to each other how the country in which only one Member of Congress voted against a blank check for endless war in Afghanistan (and beyond) in 2001 became the country in which the majority of Republican voters were against the Afghanistan war.
When the history of our time is written, people will try to explain to each other how the country in which leading Democrats provided crucial support for taking the country into a fraudulent war in Iraq became the country in which Connecticut voters would expel Joe Lieberman from the Democratic Party for continuing to support that war, the country in which having opposed that war became a litmus test for getting the Democratic nomination for President.
When people try to explain to each other that transformation in American life, the experiences of veterans who served in Afghanistan and Iraq will take center stage.
More than two million Americans have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. CNN and Fox can focus on what they want, but you can't hide the life experiences of two million people indefinitely.
Just like there's nothing that can turn you against gay-bashing like being friends with a gay person, there's nothing that can turn you against wars of choice like being friends with an anti-war veteran who served in combat.
At the intersection of Cermak and Michigan streets in Chicago yesterday, veterans who served in Afghanistan and Iraq told their stories when they threw back their service medals in protest at NATO leaders, echoing a famous protest against the Vietnam War.
A lot of media coming out of Chicago last night focused on street skirmishes between a handful of apolitical adventurists and the Chicago police. But some media got the real story.
Zach LaPorte, a 28-year-old mechanical engineer from Milwaukee who served in Iraq in 2005 and 2006, said, "I witnessed civilian casualties and civilians being arrested in what I consider an illegal occupation of a sovereign nation," Reuters reported. Former U.S. Army Sergeant Alejandro Villatoro of Chicago, who served during the Iraq 2003 invasion and in Afghanistan in 2011, said:
"There's no honor in these wars...There's just shame."
The local ABC news affiliate in Chicago produced an exemplary story which highlighted the ceremony in which Afghanistan and Iraq veterans threw back their medals, giving veterans the center stage they deserved for telling their stories.
You can learn more about Iraq Veterans Against the War, the group that organized the veterans' anti-war protest, here.
Robert Naiman
Robert Naiman is Policy Director at Just Foreign Policy. Naiman has worked as a policy analyst and researcher at the Center for Economic and Policy Research and Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch. He has masters degrees in economics and mathematics from the University of Illinois and has studied and worked in the Middle East.
When the history of our time is written, people will try to explain to each other how the country in which only one Member of Congress voted against a blank check for endless war in Afghanistan (and beyond) in 2001 became the country in which the majority of Republican voters were against the Afghanistan war.
When the history of our time is written, people will try to explain to each other how the country in which leading Democrats provided crucial support for taking the country into a fraudulent war in Iraq became the country in which Connecticut voters would expel Joe Lieberman from the Democratic Party for continuing to support that war, the country in which having opposed that war became a litmus test for getting the Democratic nomination for President.
When people try to explain to each other that transformation in American life, the experiences of veterans who served in Afghanistan and Iraq will take center stage.
More than two million Americans have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. CNN and Fox can focus on what they want, but you can't hide the life experiences of two million people indefinitely.
Just like there's nothing that can turn you against gay-bashing like being friends with a gay person, there's nothing that can turn you against wars of choice like being friends with an anti-war veteran who served in combat.
At the intersection of Cermak and Michigan streets in Chicago yesterday, veterans who served in Afghanistan and Iraq told their stories when they threw back their service medals in protest at NATO leaders, echoing a famous protest against the Vietnam War.
A lot of media coming out of Chicago last night focused on street skirmishes between a handful of apolitical adventurists and the Chicago police. But some media got the real story.
Zach LaPorte, a 28-year-old mechanical engineer from Milwaukee who served in Iraq in 2005 and 2006, said, "I witnessed civilian casualties and civilians being arrested in what I consider an illegal occupation of a sovereign nation," Reuters reported. Former U.S. Army Sergeant Alejandro Villatoro of Chicago, who served during the Iraq 2003 invasion and in Afghanistan in 2011, said:
"There's no honor in these wars...There's just shame."
The local ABC news affiliate in Chicago produced an exemplary story which highlighted the ceremony in which Afghanistan and Iraq veterans threw back their medals, giving veterans the center stage they deserved for telling their stories.
You can learn more about Iraq Veterans Against the War, the group that organized the veterans' anti-war protest, here.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.