El verdadero costo de la guerra
The True Cost of War

Por Cindy Sheehan*
Estados Unidos, 15 de noviembre de 2005

Read in english at down in this page

Cuánto le está costando al mundo esta ocupación inmoral. George y su irresponsable guerra ya le costaron al contribuyente miles de millones que tendrían mejor uso en casa. Con Katrina, vimos que Irak le costó a nuestro país buena parte de su propia seguridad. También le costó a EE.UU. su imagen en el mundo, la buena voluntad de casi todos los países después de los atentados. Ahora somos el hazmerreír internacional. No sólo desprecian a nuestra inmoral y descuidada conducción sino que nosotros, el pueblo, somos despreciados porque reelegimos a George y lo estamos dejando que siga llevando a nuestro país a la ruina.

El precio que muchos de nosotros estamos pagando es mayor al monetario o de imagen. Más de dos mil familias norteamericanas pagaron el precio de sangre de perder a un ser amado en esta insania. Más de 15.000 de nuestros jóvenes fueron heridos y cientos sufrieron amputaciones. La Administración de Veteranos estima que la cuarta parte de nuestros chicos va a volver con síndrome de estrés postraumático. Creo que ese número es todavía mayor, porque sé de muchos casos en los que los militares se niegan a tratar a soldados que lo sufren. A muchos los devuelven al frente apenas insinúan que tienen el síndrome. Aun cuando no sean heridos emocional o físicamente, nuestros soldados no serán los mismos cuando vuelvan.

Estaba parada frente a la Casa Blanca cuando se anunciaron las acusaciones contra los asesores de Bush. Yo bajé mi cartel y me puse a llorar.

Lloré porque en este mundo hay gente que mintió menos y fue castigada duramente. Lloré porque había una militante de derecha cerca mío con un cartel que decía "Manden a Cindy a Abu Ghraib", mientras nuestro país tiene en libertad a criminales de guerra y a especuladores con la guerra. Lloré porque George, Dick, Condi, Colin, Alberto, Donald, Scooter, Paul, Karl, Judith, O’Reilly, Hannity, Limbaugh, etc. mintieron sobre por qué había que invadir Irak y sus mentiras mataron a mi hijo, que raramente decía otra cosa que la verdad.

Los mentirosos y las mentiras que nos llevaron a invadir Irak son legión y están documentadas. Una vez, para divertirme, busqué "George+mentiras" en Google y encontré 272.000 archivos. Las mentiras para mantener la ocupación son las mismas. Los mentirosos ahora están redoblando el parche para invadir Siria.

Una madre cuyo hijo se suicidó "accidentalmente" en Irak hace siete meses me llamó hoy. Está quebrada por el dolor. Recuerdo que el período del séptimo al noveno mes es el peor. Creo que es así porque el shock comienza a pasar y entonces aparece el dolor. Recuerdo vívidamente los días en que me dolía tanto que no sabía qué hacer con tanto dolor. Tenía miedo de que si empezaba a gritar no iba a parar hasta que se me reventara una vena. Tenía miedo de que tendría que vivir cada día de mi vida con un dolor en el corazón tan intenso que me gastaría.

El noveno mes después de la muerte de mi hijo Casey fue absolutamente el más terrible para mí. Recordé sus primeros nueve meses de existencia en mi vientre, calentito y protegido. Recordé cómo con su padre esperamos su nacimiento con alegría e impaciencia. En contraste, los primeros nueve meses en el vientre de nuestra madre tierra fueron dolorosos, oscuros y abismales. Que nuestros hijos sean muertos por causa de mentiras, errores y traiciones es oscuro y abismal : nadie tendría que pasar lo que estamos pasando.

Pude decirle a esa madre dolorida que si podía pasar estos dos meses podría respirar un poquito mejor y hasta sonreír alguna vez. Los que hicimos el "sacrificio más alto" conocemos el costo de una guerra. Noventa y dos familias lo conocieron el mes pasado, uno de los peores meses de esta guerra. Siete de nuestros bravos soldados murieron el día en que escribo esto y sus familias pronto sabrán cuánto dolor les causan las mentiras de Bush. Para que lo sepan los demás, éste es el costo de la guerra :
Padres y madres a los que les arrancaron el corazón con violencia.

Una culpa intolerable que viene en oleadas imparables.
Maridos y esposas que tienen que enterrar con tristeza a parejas que murieron antes de tiempo. Un futuro de días y noches llenas de soledad y dolor.

Hermanos y hermanas a los que les roban partes enteras de sus historias, con crueldad. Vacaciones, cumpleaños, fiestas en las que siempre va a faltar alguien.
Hijos e hijas a los que se les niega el derecho humano básico de crecer con sus padres.

Familiares y amigos lamentando y extrañando a jóvenes a los que se les dijo que los iraquíes los recibirían con chocolates y flores en las calles, como libertadores.
Una nación soberana que no amenazaba a los Estados Unidos en ruinas, con decenas de miles de civiles inocentes asesinados porque sí.

¿Cuándo vamos a pararnos todos como una nación y decir : "Mentira" ? Yo lo estoy gritando hasta quedarme ronca y hasta cansar a todos.
¿Cuánto más vamos a dejar que los mentirosos nos roben ?
Yo digo, nunca más.

* Líder del movimiento antiguerra norteamericano. Protagonista de los "escraches" contra Bush.

***
The True Cost of War

by Cindy Sheehan
Mon Oct 31, 2005

This immoral invasion and occupation of Iraq has cost the world so much. George and his reckless war of choice have cost the American taxpayers billions of dollars that could be better spent at home. Judging from Katrina, Iraq has cost our country much of its security. It has cost the US any good standing we enjoyed in the world community. It cost America the post 9/11 good will from almost the entire world. We Americans are the laughing stock of the world community. Not only is our callous and careless leadership disdained, but we the people are scorned because we "re"-elected George for a 2nd term and not only that, we are allowing him to continue to mis-lead our country into ruin.

The price many of us are paying is so much costlier than the mere monetary expense or loss of reputation. Over 2000 American families have paid the price of our dear loved ones to the insanity. Over 15,000 of our young people are wounded with over a quarter of those being amputees. The Veterans Administration estimates that over ¼ of our children will come home with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. I believe that number is higher, because I know of many cases where the military refuses to allow soldiers to seek treatment for PTSD. Many of them are sent back to battle if they even dare suggest they may be suffering from PTSD. Even if they are not wounded emotionally or physically, or killed, our soldiers will not come home entirely whole.

I was standing in front of the White House the other day when the indictments against Scooter were handed down. I was helping to hold a banner that said : Support our Troops : Bring Them Home Now.

When we received word of the indictments, many of us protestors outside the White House were cheering with happiness and relief. At last, someone could be held accountable for the lies that led our country into a disastrous invasion of Iraq. But I wasn’t cheering. I put down my end of the banner and sat down on the curb and cried.

Scooter is just a lap dog for Cheney. He and this administration don’t do anything unless the dirty deed is analyzed and planned for maximum damage to the offending party and minimum harm to Bush and Co. The criminals in power meant to hurt Joe Wilson and his family because Joe had the temerity and the audacity to call them liars : and to do it with such intelligence and alacrity was too much for the crooks to bear. If this crooked administration let Joe Wilson get away with telling the truth and calling them liars, then who would be next ? Colin Powell ? Judith Miller ? The main stream media ? (It could happen).

I cried because there are people in this world who have lied about smaller things and have been punished more harshly. I cried because there was a shill of the right near me holding a sign that read "Put Cindy in Abu Ghraib" when there are war criminals and immoral war profiteers running amok in our country. I cried because George, Dick, Condi, Colin, Alberto, Donald, Scooter, Paul, Karl, Judith, O’Reilly, Hannity, Limbaugh, etc., lied about the reasons for invading Iraq and because of their lies, my son, who rarely told anything but the truth, is dead.

The liars and lies that led the US to invade Iraq are legion and well documented. (Once, just for giggles, I put George Bush/Lies in a Google search and 272,000 references came up). The lies to maintain the occupation are the same. The liars are now starting to beat the war drum for invading Syria.

A mom whose son committed "accidental" suicide in Iraq about 7 months ago called me this morning. She is beside herself with grief. I remember that the 7th month to the 9th month is the hardest. I think this is true because the profound shock is starting to wear off and the horrendous pain sets in. I so vividly remember the days where I ached so badly I didn’t know what to do with my pain. I was afraid if I started screaming, I wouldn’t be able to stop until every blood vessel in my brain burst open. I was afraid if I started to hit something, I wouldn’t be able to stop until it was completely destroyed. I was afraid that I would have to live every single day with heartbreak so intense and overpowering that I would eventually wear myself out from it.

The ninth month after Casey was killed was the absolute most devastating for me. I remembered the first nine months of his existence in my womb all warm and protected. How his dad and I anticipated his birth with so much joy and expectation. In contrast, the first nine months he was in the cold, cold womb of our mother earth were so joyless, painful, dark and dismal. Having your child murdered for lies, mistakes, and betrayals is so dark and dismal : no one should have to endure what we are enduring.

I was able to reassure the mom in agony somewhat that if she could get through about two more months, she would be able to breathe a little and maybe smile a little and even mean it once in awhile.

We who have made the "ultimate sacrifice" know the true cost of war.

92 families found out in October, one of the bloodiest months of this war. Seven of our brave troops were killed today and their families will soon know how much pain the Bush administration’s lies will cause them and how much peace, sleep, and joy these same lies cost.
For everyone else, this is the true cost of war :

Moms and Dads having their hearts and souls violently ripped out. Overwhelming guilt is felt in relentless and pounding waves.

Husbands and wives sorrowfully and prematurely burying their life partners. Days and nights ahead filled with loneliness and pain.

Brothers and sisters having integral parts of their history seized so cruelly from them. Holidays, birthdays, and other celebrations that will never be the same.

Sons and daughters unjustly denied the basic human right to grow up with both of their parents.

Other family members and friends mourning and missing someone too young to be killed in an occupation in which the war dead were sold the bill of goods that they would be greeted with chocolates and flowers from the Iraqi people as liberators.

A sovereign nation which was no threat to the United States of America lies in ruins and tens of thousands of its innocent citizens have been slaughtered just for the hell of it.

When are we going to stand up as a country and yell a collective : "bull-shit ?!!" I have been screaming this until my voice is getting hoarse and people are getting sick of hearing it.

How much and how many more are we going to allow the serial liars to rob from us ?

I say not one more.

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