Dear Members of Congress:

Friday March 24, 2006

Dear  Members of Congress:

On Sunday March 26, 2006, Members of Congress have called for a National Moment of Silence to Honor the Troops as part of their declaration of a day to Support the Troops.

As the mother of a soldier currently deployed to Afghanistan, I do not believe that SILENCE is an acceptable way to honor our loved ones in danger zones all over the world. 

SILENCE allows for approval of the manner in which these wars have been fought.  It does not look to change those things we have done wrong.  It does not demand accountability from our leaders.

SILENCE allows for our loved ones to continue to be ill equipped and poorly led by a Commander-in Chief who clearly has no exit strategy or plan for a sustained peace in countries that we invaded.

SILENCE allows for a “stay the course” policy which to date has brought one country to Civil War and the other to be described by our State Department as a “Near Narcotic” State willing to permit the state sponsored killing of a citizen because he professes to be Christian.  It ignores the suffering of innocent civilians in two countries and the sacrifices of Military Families at home.

SILENCE allows for the failure to care for those who have been wounded as a result of these wars by failing budget monies to pay for that care.

SILENCE does not honor those who have died – rather it allows them to be forgotten and their families shuttled aside in the rhetoric that comes from Washington. 

SILENCE does not solve the problems of a failing healthcare system in this country.  SILENCE does not guarantee that soldier’s children and their classmates are afforded a good education.  SILENCE does not rebuild cities and restore lives shattered in our own Gulf region.  SILENCE does not address the problems of caring for the elderly and future generations yet to come.  SILENCE permits issues of racial, ethnic, and lifestyle profiling to go unchallenged.  SILENCE does not address the issues of security within our own country.

SILENCE does not Honor our Troops because it does not honor what they fight for.

Our leadership ought not be SILENT because our loved ones are in harms way.  They ought be involved and vocal in criticisms of what is going wrong and keep what is going right on track.   They should be engaged in the business of representing their constituents who have, in overwhelming majorities, determined that war and violence is not the answer to bringing peace and stability to “hot spots” around the world.   

SILENT leaders do not honor my son’s service.  There has already been too much SILENCE.  It is past time to openly answer the call of the American people to BRING OUR TROOPS HOME and TAKE CARE OF THEM WHEN THEY GET HERE.

In Peace,

Marge Haracz

Military Families Speak Out - Chicago