...but Seriously

I began writing this post Thursday, January 11th, but life got in the way. In my work as Foster Care Provider, you never know what will happen. I was finishing my previous post when the phone rang, it was the substitute Case Worker (social worker) who had tried to visit my client at work. He usually works on Thursday, but last week it was preplanned for him to work on Friday. The Case Worker was on her way back from his employer and wanted to stop in for a 'surprise visit'. I'm not fond of surprise visits. Imagine your long-distance relatives calling to let you know they'll be at your house in fifteen minutes. Well, it's not quite that bad. You welcome their visit, but because you knew in advance you cleaned your house, right? Thankfully, I had vacuumed that morning, but areas of the house were, let's say, off-limits. Surprise visits come with this job; I experience one every other month from my Program Manager, but she gives clues to narrow it down to a few days. It's still a surprise but not 100%. The visit went well with the Case Worker. I met someone new (she has two kids and her oldest daughter is the same age as my oldest son) and my client enjoyed seeing someone whom he's known for many years.

Now let's get to my post. After a few lighthearted entries I am turning to my serious side, to my true nature. In fact, my 6th grade teacher, Mr. James Alexander, wrote in my end of year autograph book that I was "too serious." He had me pegged at age 11. My husband naturally jokes and teases people with ease and makes light of problems. Not me. I'm the sober, pensive, stern, and, some would say, humorless one. No! It can't be, yet it is. My husband and I are very yin-yang and good for each other; he makes me lighten up and relax, whereas I think I help him see the solemn side (and to live within a budget--which is truly a severe and weighty matter). [Thanks to Roget's New Millennium Thesaurus.]

The somber subject on my mind is the war in Iraq. It began March 19, 2003, almost four years ago and less than a week after (oldest son) Spencer's 13th birthday. Fast forward four years. Spencer is soon to be 17 and we as individuals, and as a nation, never dreamed that the war would be going strong--and picking up steam--four years later. On January 10th, President Bush addressed the nation, he stated that he wanted to commit another 21,000 troops to Iraq. If this comes to pass, by the time the troops arrive overseas, the war will be in its 5th year. If you disagree with sending more troops to Iraq, please take five minutes to speak out. Call or write an email or letter to your Congressperson or member of the U.S. Senate. Let them know your opinion. You can be in support of the troops who are over there without supporting the war and without supporting President Bush's plan to bring another 21,000 troops to Iraq. Like countless other families, I have a cousin currently stationed in Iraq and my husband, Scott, had a cousin stationed in Afghanistan a few years ago. Everyone knows somebody who is or has been stationed in Iraq or knows someone else who has family stationed in Iraq. The war in Iraq touches us all, as any long-term war does.

Senator John McCain (R-AZ) and Senator Joe Lieberman (ID-CT) support President Bush's plan, but I was thankful hear a strong dissenting opinion from Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Intelligence Committee.

“I am opposed to the escalation of American involvement in Iraq, including more U.S. troops. This is a dangerously wrong-headed strategy that will drive America deeper into an unwinnable swamp at a great cost. It is wrong to place American troops into the middle of Iraq’s civil war. It is not in America’s national interest to increase our troop presence in Iraq. The President’s strategy will cost more American lives, sink us deeper into the bog of Iraq making it more difficult to get out, cost billions of dollars more, further strain an American military that has already reached its breaking point, further diminish America’s standing in the Middle East, and continue to allow the Iraqis to walk away from their responsibilities. The fate of Iraq will be determined by the Iraqis—not the Americans. We have already given four years, thousands of lives, and hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars to Iraq."

The photo was taken when Senator Hagel visited Nebraska troops in Iraq while leading a Congressional Delegation to the Middle East in November. (Pictured left to right) Lt. Col. Gary Krupa, USAF, Senator Hagel and Lt. Col. Stephen Graf, USAF.

To read the remainder of Sen. Hagel's statement, please go here.