Typically for my final blog, I would analyze the blog, tell what I have learned, say why I enjoyed writing this blog, and end on a happy note. However, I find this to be impossible with the tragic event that occurred today at Fort Hood in Texas. Thirteen people have been killed today by a member of the U.S. armed forces.
Throughout my entire blog, I have emphasized just how detrimental to military communities and how dangerous these soldiers can be because of their mental state coming back from war. What I feared that would happen occurred today. Soldiers are humans too and they can only take so much before things get out of control. Unfortunately in Killeen, Texas, things got way out of control.
If this is not proof enough that we need to get out of these wars because of the effects that they are having on military families and communities back in the United States, then I don’t know what to do. Tragic events like these will continue to occur if we do not do something about these wars soon. We need something to happen. We, the United States of America, need to see change.
Thirteen people have lost their life today. Thirteen people we will never get back. Thirteen people who could have been saved…
My prayers go to families who have lost loved ones and to the community dealing with this tragedy.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Implications Post
After partaking in this blogging project about the effects that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have on military families and communities and after an intense analysis of the problem, I can foresee many negative problems to arise if we leave this issue unresolved.
The basic issue at hand is exactly what will happen to military families and communities if we allow our soldiers to stay in Iraq and Afghanistan and ignore the issues that have arisen at home.
The biggest question that has arisen is whether we are we supposed to focus on the wars overseas and ignore our citizen’s cry for help back on the home front? We have to analyze whether the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are worth the destruction that is present back on the home front. There are so many side effects, not just death that has arisen due to the wars overseas. When I first began to write my blog project, I thought that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were stimulated our economy; however, my assumption was incorrect. World War II brought our nation out of the Great Depression; however, the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are actually pulling our nation into a “great” recession. The only economical benefit found is for military families because each soldier receives a certain amount of extra pay while being deployed.
Within a military town, when the soldiers are away, the town’s economy begins to go down, too. Yes, the families remain behind, but the greater number of the population who actually has to the ability to spend money and invest in products is overseas.
If the issues of whether the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are detrimental or fundamental for the survival of military families remains to be unresolved, then ultimately, the negatives that have been found will begin to grow, and I fear it will grow exponentially. Typically, something gets a lot worse before any type of change for the better begins.
The year 1945 was the deadliest year in American history. This was the year that World War II officially ceased fire. http://germanyinworldwar2.com/IraqWar.htm There are so many similarities between this War on terrorism and the World War II; and World War II got a lot worse before it got better.
If the issue remains unresolved there will be an extremely detrimental effect on military families and communities within our nation. If we continue to stay in Iraq and Afghanistan, ultimately, the negative effects will continue to increase. More children will need psychological help on a range of scales from the dissolution of their family, abuse from their mother or father, or having to cope with the loss of their mother, father, sister, brother, or other family member. The divorce rate within our nation will continue to steadily rise. More deaths from soldiers who “snap” will occur. The economic situation within our nation will surely begin to fail because there is only so much money that we have to spend. http://www.populistamerica.com/top_ten_reasons_to_get_out_of_iraq_now
If we leave this issue unresolved, our nation is going to deal with some extremely traumatic events and they will not cease to end until this issue is resolved. http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/05/02/iraq.scenarios/index.html I understand that there is no safe way to leave Iraq, but we need to figure out who is more important; our American citizens or this pointless war.
The basic issue at hand is exactly what will happen to military families and communities if we allow our soldiers to stay in Iraq and Afghanistan and ignore the issues that have arisen at home.
The biggest question that has arisen is whether we are we supposed to focus on the wars overseas and ignore our citizen’s cry for help back on the home front? We have to analyze whether the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are worth the destruction that is present back on the home front. There are so many side effects, not just death that has arisen due to the wars overseas. When I first began to write my blog project, I thought that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were stimulated our economy; however, my assumption was incorrect. World War II brought our nation out of the Great Depression; however, the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are actually pulling our nation into a “great” recession. The only economical benefit found is for military families because each soldier receives a certain amount of extra pay while being deployed.
Within a military town, when the soldiers are away, the town’s economy begins to go down, too. Yes, the families remain behind, but the greater number of the population who actually has to the ability to spend money and invest in products is overseas.
If the issues of whether the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are detrimental or fundamental for the survival of military families remains to be unresolved, then ultimately, the negatives that have been found will begin to grow, and I fear it will grow exponentially. Typically, something gets a lot worse before any type of change for the better begins.
The year 1945 was the deadliest year in American history. This was the year that World War II officially ceased fire. http://germanyinworldwar2.com/IraqWar.htm There are so many similarities between this War on terrorism and the World War II; and World War II got a lot worse before it got better.
If the issue remains unresolved there will be an extremely detrimental effect on military families and communities within our nation. If we continue to stay in Iraq and Afghanistan, ultimately, the negative effects will continue to increase. More children will need psychological help on a range of scales from the dissolution of their family, abuse from their mother or father, or having to cope with the loss of their mother, father, sister, brother, or other family member. The divorce rate within our nation will continue to steadily rise. More deaths from soldiers who “snap” will occur. The economic situation within our nation will surely begin to fail because there is only so much money that we have to spend. http://www.populistamerica.com/top_ten_reasons_to_get_out_of_iraq_now
If we leave this issue unresolved, our nation is going to deal with some extremely traumatic events and they will not cease to end until this issue is resolved. http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/05/02/iraq.scenarios/index.html I understand that there is no safe way to leave Iraq, but we need to figure out who is more important; our American citizens or this pointless war.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Annotated Links Post
Throughout this project, I have found some very interesting sources; however, I have chosen five at which I deem to be the most interesting and enlightening.
http://costofwar.com/ - This link is one that says little with words, but makes a HUGE impact with numbers. This site provides a ticking count-up on just how much money we are spending on the war every single second of the day. The site also allows you to get more specific and even analyze how much a household in North Carolina is contributing to the war effort.
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/video?id=6708931 – This link is to a video on ABC 11 Eyewitness News’ website that describes just how painful it is for military families to have to say goodbye to their father, mother, sister, brother, or other family member. It shows how the community tries to make this effort easier on military families, but the emotional aspect of it is still present.
http://mylifeasamilitaryspouse.blogspot.com/ - This link is to a blog of a military spouse. I think it is very important for my followers to see first hand what a spouse of a deployed soldier has to say and how they are living during their spouse’s deployment. This blog gives an interesting perspective of just how it is to be a military spouse.
http://www.psychiatricannalsonline.com/view.asp?rID=37164 – This link describes the psychological effects that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have on military families. It not only elaborates on the effect that it has on soldiers, but the effect on their families, too.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/15/us/15vets.html - This link is to an article in the New York Times that elaborates on just how deadly the war can get, and they’re not just talking about overseas. This link elaborates on how domestic issues in military homes are leading to tons of deaths and murders.
The reason why I chose these links above is because they show a particular aspect to each of the central topics located within the debate about the wars and the effects that they have on military families. One link focuses on the economic aspect, another focuses on the positive aspects, one link focuses on the psychological aspects, and the others focus on the detrimental aspects to the wars in Iraq and Afg
http://costofwar.com/ - This link is one that says little with words, but makes a HUGE impact with numbers. This site provides a ticking count-up on just how much money we are spending on the war every single second of the day. The site also allows you to get more specific and even analyze how much a household in North Carolina is contributing to the war effort.
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/video?id=6708931 – This link is to a video on ABC 11 Eyewitness News’ website that describes just how painful it is for military families to have to say goodbye to their father, mother, sister, brother, or other family member. It shows how the community tries to make this effort easier on military families, but the emotional aspect of it is still present.
http://mylifeasamilitaryspouse.blogspot.com/ - This link is to a blog of a military spouse. I think it is very important for my followers to see first hand what a spouse of a deployed soldier has to say and how they are living during their spouse’s deployment. This blog gives an interesting perspective of just how it is to be a military spouse.
http://www.psychiatricannalsonline.com/view.asp?rID=37164 – This link describes the psychological effects that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have on military families. It not only elaborates on the effect that it has on soldiers, but the effect on their families, too.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/15/us/15vets.html - This link is to an article in the New York Times that elaborates on just how deadly the war can get, and they’re not just talking about overseas. This link elaborates on how domestic issues in military homes are leading to tons of deaths and murders.
The reason why I chose these links above is because they show a particular aspect to each of the central topics located within the debate about the wars and the effects that they have on military families. One link focuses on the economic aspect, another focuses on the positive aspects, one link focuses on the psychological aspects, and the others focus on the detrimental aspects to the wars in Iraq and Afg
Alcohol and War
When soldiers return back from Iraq and Afghanistan, as I have stated before, many domestic issues begin to arise. When analyzing the many reasons these issues occur, of course Post-Traumatic Stress disorders ranks first. If given the appropriate treatment, a soldier can beat this disorder. However, many refuse to receive this treatment and begin to take matters into their own hands. One way that soldiers drown out their depressions and the violent memories is through alcohol. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are the cause of a lot of the alcoholism that is present within military communities and families. Alcohol is their vehicle to tune out the pain that the soldiers are having.
Whenever alcohol is involved and dependence is developed, many negative effects begin to be seen. Domestic abuse typically begins to happen because of alcoholism. The death toll on the road because of drunk driving begins to rise within military communities. Accidental murders, fights, and other traumatic events, such as rape, occur because of alcohol.
After going through such a tragic event as war, soldiers are looking for anyway to get rid of the violent images that the have seen. It is just sad that some have to turn to the bottle in order to rid themselves of the pain. While they are ridding themselves of pain, they ultimately inflict pain on the ones the love the most.
http://www.envirolink.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=2197
Whenever alcohol is involved and dependence is developed, many negative effects begin to be seen. Domestic abuse typically begins to happen because of alcoholism. The death toll on the road because of drunk driving begins to rise within military communities. Accidental murders, fights, and other traumatic events, such as rape, occur because of alcohol.
After going through such a tragic event as war, soldiers are looking for anyway to get rid of the violent images that the have seen. It is just sad that some have to turn to the bottle in order to rid themselves of the pain. While they are ridding themselves of pain, they ultimately inflict pain on the ones the love the most.
http://www.envirolink.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=2197
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Self-Analysis Post
Whenever I begin to analyze anything, I believe that the most important factor in just how well something has been accomplished is determine by just how much growing and maturing the person has become at whatever they are pursuing. With this being said, as I begin to analyze myself and critique my writing, my development as a thinker on the subject about military families and communities, and my ability to create and argument, I believe that I must analyze myself from beginning to end.
When I first began this particular blogging project, I must admit, that even while I tried to eliminate my biases, it was extremely difficult to separate my personal feelings and write without emotions. I thought that since I grew up in a military town and had military family involvement, then I knew everything about the subject; however, I was extremely wrong.
http://wartimeeffects.blogspot.com/2009/10/is-money-really-worth-destruction.html
The link above is to my very first blog entry that I wrote for this project. As I look back at the blog, I can say that rhetorical situation is rather strong; however, when analyzing the second paragraph, I realize that I am relying more on an emotional appeal to the reader, instead of just a logical appeal. At this point in the project, it was rather difficult for me to separate my emotions and preconceive perceptions and write just objectively. As the blogging project began to progress, I realized that I needed to shift my writing, while it was rather persuading, from trying to attain an emotional appeal and try to prove my argument logically. For example, in this particular post, http://wartimeeffects.blogspot.com/2009/10/as-most-of-our-nation-realizes-economic.html , I found myself making a faulty analogy, that at the time seemed logically.
As I began to become more in-depth with the project, my mind was consumed with an abundance of information and I found out that a majority of the ideas that I thought were true were actually extremely FALSE. For example, I began this project with the idea that the wars are actually helping military communities and the nation economically, but rather, it is actually hurting it rather a lot. The only economic factor that I found to be true is that each soldier receives a bonus for being deployed. In military communities, when the soldiers are away, the economic situation in military communities begins to worsen exponentially. A majority of the customers are gone from the town, leaving business waiting for the soldiers to come back. http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/video?id=7063332 – This link provides the military communities perspective of the economic situation when the soldiers are away.
While a majority of the information I found proved that there are many negative effects to the war, there were a few facts that I found that actually were positives effects from the wars on military families. When interviewing a military wife, she said that while she was saddened to see her husband go over seas, the deployment actually improved their relationship and has given her a sense of independence. She now cuts the grass, changes the oil, and she realizes that she can take care of herself. http://wartimeeffects.blogspot.com/2009/10/positives-what.html While some women feel this way, there are plenty who have to deal with abuse, a depleting marriage, and tons of other turmoil because of their spouse’s deployment.
http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache:YQlLRG3FwVkJ:www.owlnet.rice.edu/~nava101/psych.ppt+psychological+disorders+from+war&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us - This link is a PowerPoint presentation that elaborates on the many psychological issues that have been seen in the United States because of the war in Iraq.
The first real shift seen in my writing from just pure emotion to attaining a logical appeal came with the Analysis Post. http://wartimeeffects.blogspot.com/2009/10/analysis-post.html - This post forced me to examine both sides of the argument and was forced to find information that supported my assertions. This post shifted my statements from just assertions and actually provided evidence that turned these assertions into arguments. From this point, my rhetorical situation improved and it encouraged me to find facts first and then make assertions later. http://wartimeeffects.blogspot.com/2009/10/wars-and-divorce-rates.html - This post about the effect that wars have on the divorce rate within our nation manages to eliminate the emotional appeal that I tried to attain within my first couple of posts, and actually fully focused on logic.
Also during this blogging project, I felt that it was important to not just convey my ideas through words, but through political cartoons, too. A picture says a thousand words, right? The two links below give examples of the type of political cartoons that have been present within my blog.
http://wartimeeffects.blogspot.com/2009/10/political-cartoon.html http://wartimeeffects.blogspot.com/2009/10/health-care-cost-v-war-cost.html
Overall, after analyzing my blog, my growth as a thinker, and my ability to create an argument, I think that I have matured as a writer, learned to put my emotions on the back burner, and learned how to create an argument logically.
When I first began this particular blogging project, I must admit, that even while I tried to eliminate my biases, it was extremely difficult to separate my personal feelings and write without emotions. I thought that since I grew up in a military town and had military family involvement, then I knew everything about the subject; however, I was extremely wrong.
http://wartimeeffects.blogspot.com/2009/10/is-money-really-worth-destruction.html
The link above is to my very first blog entry that I wrote for this project. As I look back at the blog, I can say that rhetorical situation is rather strong; however, when analyzing the second paragraph, I realize that I am relying more on an emotional appeal to the reader, instead of just a logical appeal. At this point in the project, it was rather difficult for me to separate my emotions and preconceive perceptions and write just objectively. As the blogging project began to progress, I realized that I needed to shift my writing, while it was rather persuading, from trying to attain an emotional appeal and try to prove my argument logically. For example, in this particular post, http://wartimeeffects.blogspot.com/2009/10/as-most-of-our-nation-realizes-economic.html , I found myself making a faulty analogy, that at the time seemed logically.
As I began to become more in-depth with the project, my mind was consumed with an abundance of information and I found out that a majority of the ideas that I thought were true were actually extremely FALSE. For example, I began this project with the idea that the wars are actually helping military communities and the nation economically, but rather, it is actually hurting it rather a lot. The only economic factor that I found to be true is that each soldier receives a bonus for being deployed. In military communities, when the soldiers are away, the economic situation in military communities begins to worsen exponentially. A majority of the customers are gone from the town, leaving business waiting for the soldiers to come back. http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/video?id=7063332 – This link provides the military communities perspective of the economic situation when the soldiers are away.
While a majority of the information I found proved that there are many negative effects to the war, there were a few facts that I found that actually were positives effects from the wars on military families. When interviewing a military wife, she said that while she was saddened to see her husband go over seas, the deployment actually improved their relationship and has given her a sense of independence. She now cuts the grass, changes the oil, and she realizes that she can take care of herself. http://wartimeeffects.blogspot.com/2009/10/positives-what.html While some women feel this way, there are plenty who have to deal with abuse, a depleting marriage, and tons of other turmoil because of their spouse’s deployment.
http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache:YQlLRG3FwVkJ:www.owlnet.rice.edu/~nava101/psych.ppt+psychological+disorders+from+war&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us - This link is a PowerPoint presentation that elaborates on the many psychological issues that have been seen in the United States because of the war in Iraq.
The first real shift seen in my writing from just pure emotion to attaining a logical appeal came with the Analysis Post. http://wartimeeffects.blogspot.com/2009/10/analysis-post.html - This post forced me to examine both sides of the argument and was forced to find information that supported my assertions. This post shifted my statements from just assertions and actually provided evidence that turned these assertions into arguments. From this point, my rhetorical situation improved and it encouraged me to find facts first and then make assertions later. http://wartimeeffects.blogspot.com/2009/10/wars-and-divorce-rates.html - This post about the effect that wars have on the divorce rate within our nation manages to eliminate the emotional appeal that I tried to attain within my first couple of posts, and actually fully focused on logic.
Also during this blogging project, I felt that it was important to not just convey my ideas through words, but through political cartoons, too. A picture says a thousand words, right? The two links below give examples of the type of political cartoons that have been present within my blog.
http://wartimeeffects.blogspot.com/2009/10/political-cartoon.html http://wartimeeffects.blogspot.com/2009/10/health-care-cost-v-war-cost.html
Overall, after analyzing my blog, my growth as a thinker, and my ability to create an argument, I think that I have matured as a writer, learned to put my emotions on the back burner, and learned how to create an argument logically.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Theory Post
The effects that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have on military families and communities is an extremely controversial issue that challenges whether these wars overseas are worth the destruction that they bring back home on the home front.
Some may say that the money military families receive when their loved one is deployed is an adequate compromise for the other suffering they may deal with during their mother, father, brother sister, or any other family member’s deployment.
This issue with military families is definitely not a new one and has been around ever since our nation has involved ourselves with war. Yes, I could say ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan could solve the issues because soldiers will be back here on American soil; however, the government and other nations will have problems with our withdrawal. Every war in the past has led to another war. For example, the French and Indian War led to the American Revolution. The Spanish-American War led to World War I; World War I led to World War II; and so on.
(The links below show how each war has led to yet another war in the future.)
http://www.ww2pacific.com/ww1end.html
http://www.helium.com/items/598300-the-french-and-indian-war-prelude-to-the-american-revolution
http://www.progress.org/fold37.htm
Yes, we could end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan now; but our withdrawal would ultimately lead to yet another war and the cycle will continue. While my solution to this polarized issue is rather huge and likely impossible, I strongly believe that if our nation only needed a military for domestic issues and HELPING, emphasis on HELPING, other nations, and wars were no longer necessary, then we could potentially end many of the issues with military families.
While world peace is an answer that is typically heard only in beauty pageants, I strongly believe that this is the only way that our issue with military families will ever cease.
Some may say that the money military families receive when their loved one is deployed is an adequate compromise for the other suffering they may deal with during their mother, father, brother sister, or any other family member’s deployment.
This issue with military families is definitely not a new one and has been around ever since our nation has involved ourselves with war. Yes, I could say ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan could solve the issues because soldiers will be back here on American soil; however, the government and other nations will have problems with our withdrawal. Every war in the past has led to another war. For example, the French and Indian War led to the American Revolution. The Spanish-American War led to World War I; World War I led to World War II; and so on.
(The links below show how each war has led to yet another war in the future.)
http://www.ww2pacific.com/ww1end.html
http://www.helium.com/items/598300-the-french-and-indian-war-prelude-to-the-american-revolution
http://www.progress.org/fold37.htm
Yes, we could end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan now; but our withdrawal would ultimately lead to yet another war and the cycle will continue. While my solution to this polarized issue is rather huge and likely impossible, I strongly believe that if our nation only needed a military for domestic issues and HELPING, emphasis on HELPING, other nations, and wars were no longer necessary, then we could potentially end many of the issues with military families.
While world peace is an answer that is typically heard only in beauty pageants, I strongly believe that this is the only way that our issue with military families will ever cease.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Class Links Post
While it was difficult to choose only three from all of the many wonderful blogs present, the three blogs that I think everyone should visit are:
http://allquietonthewesternblunt.blogspot.com/
http://can-i-live-abortion.blogspot.com/
http://battleswithrace.blogspot.com/
These three blogs provide very interesting perspectives on topics; race, the legalization of marijuana, and abortion. These three topics have been focused in order to provide an intellectual debate that removes many biases and entertains the blogger at the same time.
On the first blog that I presented, all quiet on the western blunt, the blogger draws in the reader first with the aesthetics. It is obvious that he or she has taken the time to create a blogging atmosphere for his or her commenters. Next, the blogger develops intellectual arguments, rather than just making pure assertions. The blogger backs up his or her assertion with a tremendous amount of evidence and responds back to commenters with the same tact presented within the original blog post.
On the second blog, rather than just having the common debate about abortion deciding whether it should be legal or not, the blogger focuses on just how the two sides can compromise and bring the debate to an end. I really like the fact that the blogger is taking a different approach to a subject that is typically one way to look at debating.
The reason I enjoy the last blog, battles with race and health care, is because, just like the previous blog, it takes a common debate and shifts it into a new light. While most blogs just focus on how to eliminate racism and the problems with it, this particular blog focuses on how racism is affecting health care, but more specifically, the racism that has occurred with the new health care debate towards President Barack Obama. What I really enjoy is that this issue has shifted from being just about race and is becoming more specific. Typically, when something is more specific, it becomes a lot easier to solve the problem.
http://allquietonthewesternblunt.blogspot.com/
http://can-i-live-abortion.blogspot.com/
http://battleswithrace.blogspot.com/
These three blogs provide very interesting perspectives on topics; race, the legalization of marijuana, and abortion. These three topics have been focused in order to provide an intellectual debate that removes many biases and entertains the blogger at the same time.
On the first blog that I presented, all quiet on the western blunt, the blogger draws in the reader first with the aesthetics. It is obvious that he or she has taken the time to create a blogging atmosphere for his or her commenters. Next, the blogger develops intellectual arguments, rather than just making pure assertions. The blogger backs up his or her assertion with a tremendous amount of evidence and responds back to commenters with the same tact presented within the original blog post.
On the second blog, rather than just having the common debate about abortion deciding whether it should be legal or not, the blogger focuses on just how the two sides can compromise and bring the debate to an end. I really like the fact that the blogger is taking a different approach to a subject that is typically one way to look at debating.
The reason I enjoy the last blog, battles with race and health care, is because, just like the previous blog, it takes a common debate and shifts it into a new light. While most blogs just focus on how to eliminate racism and the problems with it, this particular blog focuses on how racism is affecting health care, but more specifically, the racism that has occurred with the new health care debate towards President Barack Obama. What I really enjoy is that this issue has shifted from being just about race and is becoming more specific. Typically, when something is more specific, it becomes a lot easier to solve the problem.
War and Economy
While the previous political cartoons that I would upload show images that I agree with; I decided that to only be far and unbias I would upload a political cartoon that I do not necessarily agree with completely.
The economy and war are NOT partners and should not go hand in hand. We should not try and stimulate or economy because of the wars. Yes, the world war II got us out of the great depression, but it also got us involved with tons of destruction throughout the entire world.
I strongly believe that these wars are NOT worth the potential money that we can receive. Yes, in the past wars have been an economic stimulator; however, not this time.
The money is NOT worth the destruction.
Water-Testing
Our nation CANNOT simply continue to just "test the waters" while we have soldiers overseas dying EVERY SINGLE DAY. I completely understand that we cannot simply pull out of Iraq and Afghanistan and act like everything is all fine and dandy; but I do realize that something needs to be done, and that something needs to be done quickly.
Throughout Barack Obama’s entire campaign, he was an advocate for change. He believed that our nation needed to undergo and experience a tremendous amount of change. While his message allowed him to receive the vote and become the first African-American president, while this is a major accomplishment, what we need to remember is what he promised throughout his entire campaign.
Well, Obama….WE…..NEED….CHANGE! I understand that it is not going to occur overnight and I would be a hypocrite if I were to be upset that he is focusing on health care because my main focus is that our citizens should come first; however, we cannot ignore this issue forever. Something needs to be done and that something should be done quickly before something tragic happens.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Wars and Divorce Rates
Wars typically lead to a “divorce” between nations; however, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are the cause of a majority of divorces within our nation. Since the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have begun, there have been an estimated 10,200 failed marriages in active duty army, and 3,077 failed marriages in the marines. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/dec/04/military-divorce-rates-up-as-conflicts-test-famili/
Military divorce rates have undoubtedly risen sharply since the wars begun in 2001. While this is just the number for those who are currently active in the military, many feel that these rates are inaccurate because they do not include the recent veterans whose divorce occurred shortly after they were inactive from the military.
Not just with military families, but in general, divorce is an extremely nasty task that affects children in an extremely detrimental way. They become forced to make huge decisions, such as who to live with, which ultimately damages ties with the other parent. The child begins to lack a sense of belonging and becomes extremely confused. http://www.public.iastate.edu/~rhetoric/105H16/cova/jlscova.html
Also with divorce, children become highly at risk for psychological issues. There are also statistics that say children who live in a divorced household are less likely to be as healthy. http://www.buzzle.com/articles/hidden-effects-divorce-children.html All of these statistics are present at the link above.
There are so many ways that this, in my opinion, unnecessary war is affecting our military families. The cycle is we have a war, the war creates division within a household, divorce occurs, and then the children are ultimately left out to dry.
As I say so many times before, is the money really worth it? I definitely do not think so.
Military divorce rates have undoubtedly risen sharply since the wars begun in 2001. While this is just the number for those who are currently active in the military, many feel that these rates are inaccurate because they do not include the recent veterans whose divorce occurred shortly after they were inactive from the military.
Not just with military families, but in general, divorce is an extremely nasty task that affects children in an extremely detrimental way. They become forced to make huge decisions, such as who to live with, which ultimately damages ties with the other parent. The child begins to lack a sense of belonging and becomes extremely confused. http://www.public.iastate.edu/~rhetoric/105H16/cova/jlscova.html
Also with divorce, children become highly at risk for psychological issues. There are also statistics that say children who live in a divorced household are less likely to be as healthy. http://www.buzzle.com/articles/hidden-effects-divorce-children.html All of these statistics are present at the link above.
There are so many ways that this, in my opinion, unnecessary war is affecting our military families. The cycle is we have a war, the war creates division within a household, divorce occurs, and then the children are ultimately left out to dry.
As I say so many times before, is the money really worth it? I definitely do not think so.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Positives? What!?!
When examining my previous analysis post, I was extremely disappointed with the lack of positives that I was able to conclude strictly from evidence found on the internet; so, I decided to take my research to the next level and actually visit some military families in Fort Bragg, North Carolina and get their opinion on the situation.
While a majority of the answers I received from military families were economic related, the stability of the job and the extra money received with their spouses are deployed, there was one positive attribute that was mentioned that is actually really rewarded due to the deployment of their military spouses.
For a majority of military wives when their husbands are deployed, they must become the mother and the father for their children. They take on the tasks that most husbands complete such as, changing the oil, cutting the grass, painting, pumping gas, and other jobs that most males are instructed to complete. However, military spouses feel a sense of achievement knowing that they can survive on their own.
Also, military spouses say that, for those who are really dedicated to their relationship with their military spouse, it makes their relationship even stronger. “Absence makes the heart grow fonder,” and for the military spouses that I talked with, this was their favorite slogan.
While I am still firmly standing on the side that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are detrimental to military families; however, there are some positives for the spouses left back at home because of the sense of self-worth that arises due to their spouse’s absence. Despite this, I am still not convinced that this is enough to keep us in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
While a majority of the answers I received from military families were economic related, the stability of the job and the extra money received with their spouses are deployed, there was one positive attribute that was mentioned that is actually really rewarded due to the deployment of their military spouses.
For a majority of military wives when their husbands are deployed, they must become the mother and the father for their children. They take on the tasks that most husbands complete such as, changing the oil, cutting the grass, painting, pumping gas, and other jobs that most males are instructed to complete. However, military spouses feel a sense of achievement knowing that they can survive on their own.
Also, military spouses say that, for those who are really dedicated to their relationship with their military spouse, it makes their relationship even stronger. “Absence makes the heart grow fonder,” and for the military spouses that I talked with, this was their favorite slogan.
While I am still firmly standing on the side that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are detrimental to military families; however, there are some positives for the spouses left back at home because of the sense of self-worth that arises due to their spouse’s absence. Despite this, I am still not convinced that this is enough to keep us in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Analysis Post
“I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent.” – Mahatma Gandhi
Can’t we all just get along? Well, if the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are an answer to this question, it would be a big, fat, no! While the initial reason for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan seemed to be very plausible and would do “good” for our country; however, the long term effects, or the “evil”, as Mahatma Gandhi stated, are permanent. These evils are present in our nation, especially within our military families and communities. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, in my opinion, are extremely detrimental to these military families and communities; however, there are a substantial amount of people who beg to disagree with my assertion.
The Positive Effects of the Wars in I&A on Military Families
The biggest positive effect that comes about from these wars is the fact that it provides a stable paycheck for military families because of the military’s need for soldiers. Every single day, a huge number of citizens join the military on active duty. A majority join because this is the only option that will provide their family with stability within our nation’s recent economic shift. http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/video?id=7063332 This link displays a video about the military recruitment and highlights a single mother in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, whose only option for a job in this crazy economic time is to join the military.
The effect that these wars have on the economy is the major positive for military communities and families. While these wars can be extremely costly, with almost one trillion dollars having been spent thus far, other statistic show that these wars are actually helping our nation’s economy. http://www.cfr.org/publication/15404/# This link shows both the positive and negative effects of the wars on the economy, but emphasizes the concept that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will ultimately improve our nation’s economic situation in the long run.
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan provide our nation, especially military families and communities with a sense of security due to the stability that the military provides; there are still a significant amount of negative effects that have arisen due to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Positive Effects of the Wars in I&A on Military Families
The biggest positive effect that comes about from these wars is the fact that it provides a stable paycheck for military families because of the military’s need for soldiers. Every single day, a huge number of citizens join the military on active duty. A majority join because this is the only option that will provide their family with stability within our nation’s recent economic shift. http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/video?id=7063332 This link displays a video about the military recruitment and highlights a single mother in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, whose only option for a job in this crazy economic time is to join the military.
The effect that these wars have on the economy is the major positive for military communities and families. While these wars can be extremely costly, with almost one trillion dollars having been spent thus far, other statistic show that these wars are actually helping our nation’s economy. http://www.cfr.org/publication/15404/# This link shows both the positive and negative effects of the wars on the economy, but emphasizes the concept that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will ultimately improve our nation’s economic situation in the long run.
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan provide our nation, especially military families and communities with a sense of security due to the stability that the military provides; there are still a significant amount of negative effects that have arisen due to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Negative Effects of the Wars in I&A on Military Families
When evaluating the effects that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have on military families and communities, the cons definitely begin to outweigh the pros on the list. Research shows that this war is extremely detrimental to military families by affecting the spouses, children, and the soldiers mentally and physically. Within a military community, these negative effects are seen practically everyday due to the rise of murder rates, the losing of loved ones overseas, and witnessing a change in mental state within military families.
One of the most highly publicized events occurred almost a year and a half ago after a pregnant soldier, Megan Touma, was found dead in a hotel room in Fayetteville, North Carolina, after her involvement with another military man. The entire military community was in distress, especially after the possibility that the soldier’s murder was deemed to be a copycat to the Zodiac Serial Killer. The link below provides the full story of the tragic death of Megan Touma, the pregnant soldier found dead in a hotel room. http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/06/24/pregnant.soldier.dead/index.html
Yet another instance where military interaction has turned deadly within military communities occurred when a soldier, who just returned from overseas recently, and another companion plotted to kill his wife by stabbing her several times during a walk around the neighborhood at night. These events happened within a few months of one another, and tragic events like this, and the Touma murder, have become common within military communities. This is a link to the news article about this tragic event within Fayetteville, North Carolina. Within in a military community, it is extremely easy for situations to turn deadly. http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/3678679/#
With disaster such as the two previous occurring within our nation, the New York Times began to do research to show just how deadly situations can get when strains on military families begin to occur. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/15/us/15vets.html
While not every negative effect from the war has to deal with death, there are still many negative effects for military families due to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Domestic abuse becomes one of the highest crimes on military bases during wartimes. http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/video?id=6439842 This is a link to a news story about domestic abuse within military communities.
While soldiers may seem to be “evil” because of all of the destruction that has been caused within military communities, they also struggle with many issues, especially issues such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Also, there is a long term physiological effect from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. http://www.killology.com/art_psych_combat.htm
http://www.killology.com/art_psych_casualties.htm Psychiatric casualties come about from the war, and lead to many detrimental issues for military spouses and children. The deployment of parents put children up for high risk psychological problems. http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/09/02/military.kids.stress/index.html
http://blogs.babiesonline.com/current-events/military-family-psychological-effects-on-the-children/#
http://www.psychiatricannalsonline.com/view.asp?rID=37164
The two links above coincide with the argument that military deployment can affect a child psychologically. One is an online journal and the other is a blog.
One of the biggest debates about the wars, as previously stated, is the economic situation. While yes, the war does stimulate military families, but when you take away the soldiers from the communities, business begins to go downhill. http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/video?id=6731808 This is a link to a news story about the economic issues within a military community and also touches on the effects of deployment on children.
Support for Military Families and Communities
There are many organizations that are designed for military families and communities that are against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Two of the most prominent organizations are “Military Families Speak Out” http://www.mfso.org/ and “Families against the wars” http://militaryfamiliesagainstendlesswar.com/. These organizations are dedicated to military families and to bringing our troops home.
While these organizations are dedicated to bringing the troops back from overseas, there are those, such as First Lady Michelle Obama, who are dedicated to helping military families. http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/video?id=6707084 This link leads to her first visit to Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Yet another way that support for military families and communities has arisen is from blog entries of military spouses. These entries often express how much they miss their soldier, the worry they feel having their soldier overseas, witnessing their child growing up without one of their parents, and other issues. A few examples of military blogs are as followed:
http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/348/military_families_against_the_war/
http://mylifeasamilitaryspouse.blogspot.com/
http://amilitaryfamilyblog.blogspot.com/
A lot of support from other military families really begins to become apparent during initial times of deployment and withdrawal. The two links below show both scenarios within Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/video?id=6708931
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/video?id=6892109
What Should We Do?
After analyzing each side intensely, it seems to be that there are definitely more negative impacts that these wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have on military families and communities. If we realize all of these negative impacts, then why are we still overseas? We are fighting overseas, but the true issues are going on back on the home front.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Health Care Cost v. War Cost
When I ran across this political cartoon when doing research for my blog, I found this comparison to be rather hilarious, but extremely informative. President Obama is receiving so many issues from how much we would spend for the health care reform. However, we are spending, as the political cartoon states, almost three times of the cost that it would be to provide this health care reform in order to pay for this "unnecessary war."
My main focus with this particular post is to show where our country's focus is currently staying. I always thought that it was important to put a country's citizens first; however, our nation is putting others before helping our own citizens. Yes, I understand we are an imperialistic country and are suppose to be the World Police; however, we need to focus on those who are actually living in the United States first. Those are the people who should be our priority and President Obama is trying to make that happen.
While my blogs focuses primarily on military families, I would be ignorant in not trying to provide insight on how this war is affecting regular American citizens as well. Obama is just trying to put the focus back on the American citizens, the way our nation should be.
I am not saying that we should just forget about the Iraqis and ignore their needs. I am saying that we need to make our citizens priority.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
I Thought We Graduated From High School!
As most of our nation realizes, the economic situation in our country is absolutely atrocious. Our government is scrambling to figure out methods in how to get our economy out of such a pitfall, and build it back up to the stable power it previously entailed. While I may not have a degree in economics and may just only be a student, I do know one full proof method that could potentially get our nation out of such debt. END THE WARS IN AFGHANISTAN AND IRAQ! While in previous blogs, I have emphasized how this war has negatively affected our military families and communities, but it also affects our entire nation.
Let's compare our wonderful nation to a female teenage high-schooler. It is that time to go back to school again, and what all teenagers look forward to is “back-to-school” shopping! Our female teenager, America, is an older sibling and has two little sisters who she has to shop for, too. Well, America gets all of her supplies for school, paper, pencils, notebooks, and now its time for her to look out for her little sisters, however, her friend, let's call her Francesca, is with her and really wants a new pair of shoes. Francesca doesn't have the money to buy shoes, and America really wants Francesca to be her friend, so America spends the money that she needed to use for her little sisters on a pair of shoes for Francesca.
So, how does this have ANYTHING to do with the current economic situation in our country?!? Well, our nation has almost spent $1,000,000,000,000 on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. (Now that is A LOT of zeroes!) Yes, we as a nation have a priority to protect our nation and to put our country's needs first, however, when we begin to fight "pointless" wars and spend this much money on a war that is worthless, then that is when our nation begins to act like our irrational teenage female spending money on worthless items, just so she will be well-liked. Just like America did in the previous scenario, we spent money on something that we don't necessarily need, when we could have invested that money into something more important. America should have invested that money in taking care of her siblings; instead, she spent it on something useless. Our nation is at fault for doing the same exact thing, by spending money on a pointless war when we have our own citizens struggling for economic support.
The amount of money that we are spending in Iraq and Afghanistan increases every single second. Please click on this particular link to see just how rapidly we are throwing away our money. http://costofwar.com/ It is extremely eye-opening.
In North Carolina alone, taxpayers have spent $24.6 billion total for the wars in Iraq & Afghanistan since 2001. For the same amount of money, the following could be provided within our state:
5,259,652 People with Health Care for One Year OR19,483,457 Homes with Renewable Electricity for One Year OR628,708 Public Safety Officers for One year OR460,551 Music and Arts Teachers for One Year OR4,879,573 Scholarships for University Students for One Year OR4,590,447 Students receiving Pell Grants of $5350 OR232,429 Affordable Housing Units OR11,712,390 Children with Health Care for One Year OR3,332,731 Head Start Places for Children for One Year OR509,256 Elementary School Teachers for One Year OR375,806 Port Container Inspectors for One year
http://www.nationalpriorities.org/tradeoffs?location_type=1&state=37&program=577&submit_tradeoffs=from_costofwar&tradeoff_item_item=999
What our nation needs to do is make our citizen's well-being priority and focus on the domestic issues first. Our nation should not have the mentality of a teenager high school girl, however, some of the ideas they have are similar. I know our country want's to be popular, but I thought we left that need for popularity back in high schoool.
Let's compare our wonderful nation to a female teenage high-schooler. It is that time to go back to school again, and what all teenagers look forward to is “back-to-school” shopping! Our female teenager, America, is an older sibling and has two little sisters who she has to shop for, too. Well, America gets all of her supplies for school, paper, pencils, notebooks, and now its time for her to look out for her little sisters, however, her friend, let's call her Francesca, is with her and really wants a new pair of shoes. Francesca doesn't have the money to buy shoes, and America really wants Francesca to be her friend, so America spends the money that she needed to use for her little sisters on a pair of shoes for Francesca.
So, how does this have ANYTHING to do with the current economic situation in our country?!? Well, our nation has almost spent $1,000,000,000,000 on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. (Now that is A LOT of zeroes!) Yes, we as a nation have a priority to protect our nation and to put our country's needs first, however, when we begin to fight "pointless" wars and spend this much money on a war that is worthless, then that is when our nation begins to act like our irrational teenage female spending money on worthless items, just so she will be well-liked. Just like America did in the previous scenario, we spent money on something that we don't necessarily need, when we could have invested that money into something more important. America should have invested that money in taking care of her siblings; instead, she spent it on something useless. Our nation is at fault for doing the same exact thing, by spending money on a pointless war when we have our own citizens struggling for economic support.
The amount of money that we are spending in Iraq and Afghanistan increases every single second. Please click on this particular link to see just how rapidly we are throwing away our money. http://costofwar.com/ It is extremely eye-opening.
In North Carolina alone, taxpayers have spent $24.6 billion total for the wars in Iraq & Afghanistan since 2001. For the same amount of money, the following could be provided within our state:
5,259,652 People with Health Care for One Year OR19,483,457 Homes with Renewable Electricity for One Year OR628,708 Public Safety Officers for One year OR460,551 Music and Arts Teachers for One Year OR4,879,573 Scholarships for University Students for One Year OR4,590,447 Students receiving Pell Grants of $5350 OR232,429 Affordable Housing Units OR11,712,390 Children with Health Care for One Year OR3,332,731 Head Start Places for Children for One Year OR509,256 Elementary School Teachers for One Year OR375,806 Port Container Inspectors for One year
http://www.nationalpriorities.org/tradeoffs?location_type=1&state=37&program=577&submit_tradeoffs=from_costofwar&tradeoff_item_item=999
What our nation needs to do is make our citizen's well-being priority and focus on the domestic issues first. Our nation should not have the mentality of a teenager high school girl, however, some of the ideas they have are similar. I know our country want's to be popular, but I thought we left that need for popularity back in high schoool.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Political Cartoon!
Is the oil really worth it?
When we examine the reasons as to why we are fighting these wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, many have doubts as to if those reasons are actually true. Supposedly, the reason why entered the war in Iraq is because our government strongly believed that Iraq possessed nuclear weapons that could potentially start a nuclear war.
However, for some reason, even after discovering that Iraq did not have these so called nuclear weapons, our military is still overseas fighting this war in Iraq. So just why are we still there? One of the many possibilities as to why we find this war in Iraq and attaining Iraq so valuable is because of their source of oil.
My main focus in this blog is to ask one question. Is this all really worth it?
The political cartoon above provides a pretty important comparison that we must always remember. Every single day, we are losing soldiers overseas to this war, which could possibly be pointless. Since I am not a government official, it is impossible for me to say whether this assumption is true. What I have to say is that I know that if we are overseas for something as simple as oil, I would be extremely disappointed with the American government if they forget that we have soldiers dying everyday for this cause.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Is Money Really Worth Destruction?
For the past eight years of my life, the saying "If you're not willing to stand behind our troops, then feel free to stand in front of them," has been plastered on billboards, bumper stickers, and flyers to persuade anti-war activists in our nation to support the ongoing Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. While this slogan has persuaded tons of Americans to stand behind the troops and support the war, unfortunately, they are not actually the ones who are TRULY standing behind our soldiers. Yes, they can provide monetary donations through fundraisers, write letters to troops, and do all of the other cookie cutter ideas that we have be doing for the past eight years, but who is actually burdened with the emotional support that these troops seek? The military families and communities are the ones who, even if they are against the war, HAVE to stand behind our troops. While the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan allow for military communities to prosper economically, there are so many more negative effects that ultimately make these wars detrimental to military families and communities.
Imagine being forced to meet your father when you are five years old, because he has been overseas your entire life. Imagine being a parent and not being able to see your child grow up. Imagine the constant fear you would feel at every single knock on your door because you are afraid that it is someone coming to tell you that your husband, wife, father, mother, son, daughter, brother, or sister has been killed in combat. Imagine having your significant other come back from war with post traumatic stress disorder, which ultimately changes their mind and makes them abusive to you and others, such as your children. Imagine reading in the paper almost everyday and see that a soldier has gone crazy and killed their wife or someone else. While you may only have to imagine these brutal images, for military families and communities, this is their everyday life.
Is it really fair for these innocent families and communities to face such turmoil when there are ways to prevent these wars? I think not. Why should they be the ones to suffer the consequences? I understand that there are certain reason to go to war, but if those reasons (or nuclear weapons) do not exists anymore, then why are we still overseas and bringing so much pain upon these families and communities? I know that money is a huge deal in our country and with the current economic unstableness in our nation, it is even more important now, but is it worth the cost of destroying a person? Is it worth the cost to destroy a family? I do not know about you, but I strongly believe that the money is NOT worth the destruction.
Imagine being forced to meet your father when you are five years old, because he has been overseas your entire life. Imagine being a parent and not being able to see your child grow up. Imagine the constant fear you would feel at every single knock on your door because you are afraid that it is someone coming to tell you that your husband, wife, father, mother, son, daughter, brother, or sister has been killed in combat. Imagine having your significant other come back from war with post traumatic stress disorder, which ultimately changes their mind and makes them abusive to you and others, such as your children. Imagine reading in the paper almost everyday and see that a soldier has gone crazy and killed their wife or someone else. While you may only have to imagine these brutal images, for military families and communities, this is their everyday life.
Is it really fair for these innocent families and communities to face such turmoil when there are ways to prevent these wars? I think not. Why should they be the ones to suffer the consequences? I understand that there are certain reason to go to war, but if those reasons (or nuclear weapons) do not exists anymore, then why are we still overseas and bringing so much pain upon these families and communities? I know that money is a huge deal in our country and with the current economic unstableness in our nation, it is even more important now, but is it worth the cost of destroying a person? Is it worth the cost to destroy a family? I do not know about you, but I strongly believe that the money is NOT worth the destruction.
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