My son in Iraq and Senator Ted Stevens

by Rich Moniak
October 2nd, 2005

Every night, shortly before I go to bed, my son wakes up in Iraq.  Thinking about him there strains my memory, wanting denial to be an option so I can freely imagine riding a bicycle beside him, or having a beer with him during an evening of shooting pool.  One image of youth, one of a young man, both wishing they didn’t have to compete with the reality of thinking about him as a soldier in a hostile land.

Attached is the third letter I have written to Senator Stevens since July 2003, after he derided Senate democrats for "making a mountain out of a molehill" over Bush’s 16 words.  Michael was in Iraq then.  I wrote again last month only days after he departed Fairbanks.  Why didn’t I write in between?  Did I need the war to be personal to act like a citizen with a gripe against the injustices and deaths of other soldiers and the thousands of innocent civilians?  Did I feel powerless because I am, or because so many others feel powerless and we fall to prey to its desire to keep us there?  

Stevens reply to my last letter is also attached.  It's incredibly disturbing when our nation's leaders lie to us, much more so when they show such a disregard for the life of others lost or affected by the needless death and destruction of war.  How much does our relative silence allow this to become the accepted norm for politicians?  How much does it water down the interest and obligation of our so-called free press to demand our government be accountable?  Maybe I am living an illusion by copying this to other members of congress, newspapers and activists.  Maybe its an illusion that I live in a real democracy. 

I have no expectations that the Senator will read this.  His last letter was surely written by some dimwitted staff member who thinks I get the stories in the news from Fox or CNN.  It’s one thing to be insulted by one of the most powerful men in the senate, quite another to be treated as stupid by the contrived thinking of the unaccountable minds hiding behind that power.  I’m not sure what’s worse though, the insults they direct my way, or the relative apathy that reigned within me while Michael was home.

Click here to read Rich's letter to Senator Stevens