We have a tradition of calling the veterans in our family to wish them a happy Veteran’s Day and to thank them for their sacrifice for us and their service to the country. We especially thank them because while the country they have served doesn’t always love, appreciate and thank them, we do. Today I include a person I’ve never met who I’d like to thank, too.
She is Sgt. Kelly Dougherty and she is a co-founder of Iraq Veterans Against the War. And she is still serving this nation with distinction.
She is bravely sharing what she has witnessed in this war:
Dougherty said she had hoped that American troops would help rebuild power plants, water systems and schools, but the only construction she saw was at military bases.
“From what I saw, we just created more chaos and violence,” she said. “I became less and less convinced that we were there for a good purpose.”
And what she’s doing is not without consequences:
“People say you are a traitor. People say you are unpatriotic,” said Dougherty, 27, about her anti-war work. “We are doing this because we feel strongly about America.
Amazing, isn’t it? Truth-telling is a traitorous act! Of course she loves her country–more than those squawking chickenhawks who have her back … WAY back, in the comfort of their homes and her sacrifice. And she’s still sacrificing for the good of the country:
She put her life and income on hold to talk to college students, high school classes and community groups across the country.
“The war in Iraq is not about protecting this country. The war is about aggression,” said Dougherty, who doesn’t receive a salary for her work against the war.
Read the entire story over at Common Dreams. But for my part, I thank her for her continuing service to our nation.
Cross-posted at Liberal Street Fighter
