Grassroots Action

On June 3, Sandy Miley of Sherrill, New York, had the following letter published in the Ithaca Journal:

"How tragic to hear, on Memorial Day, when we wish only to express gratitude to those who willingly put themselves in harm's way for our sakes, how a group of Marines allegedly killed innocent Iraqi civilians as payback for a Marine blown up by a car bomb. “Kill them all and let God sort them out” is how one writer described the emotion of these men.

Surely, the words George Bush now says were misinterpreted (“Bring em on” and “Wanted dead or alive”) played a part in this tragedy. Yes, Mr. Bush, others just didn't “get” your brand of machismo and patriotism: some, jihadists only too happy to use your words to recruit; others, young Americans accepting too readily your simplistic division of the world into evil and good. Words coming from the most powerful person in the world have all sorts of consequences. ..."