President Bush was fond of saying "he can run but he can't hide" about Osama Bin Laden and now he has used that slogan on the campaign trail about John Kerry in a subversive way of creating a subconscious link of fear in the hearts and minds of the American people.

Apparently, none of us can run or hide. It was leaked to the New York Times, and I say leaked because of course our government knew about it and said and did nothing, that 400 tons of explosives are missing from Iraq. Apparently while our president insured that the oil fields were well guarded, he forgot to look after the hazardous materials to make sure they didn't get into the wrong hands. U.N.: 400 Tons of Iraq Explosives Missing.


This comes on the heels of a bloody, horrendous massacre of 49 newly trained Iraqi soldiers that were going home on leave to visit their families. Now I want you to take a minute and think about this with me. Your country has been invaded by the Americans. They say they are here to help. Saddam is gone, happiness and joy. Then chaos ensues. There is no running water, no hospitals, everything around you is violent and miserable. You get a job to become a soldier to defend your own country, to take part in the reconstruction, to regain your dignity after all of the atrocities of war that have been inflicted on your people. You will have a paycheck and be able to give your family food and stability again. You are going home to see them and won't they be proud of you. You have so many stories to tell them about everything you have learned and all of your plans for the future. You get dressed in your civilian clothes, check in your weapon and head home, everyone laughing and talking on the bus. Then you are pulled over at a fake security point, you are held at gunpoint and told to take off your shoes. Then someone puts a bullet in the back of your skull. Worse, it was probably an inside job. One of the men you lived and trained with betrayed your whole unit.
Massacre at Baquba: 49 Iraqi Soldiers Executed in Attack Designed to Send Message to US.

The reason why all of this is getting to me is because I have a cousin going to Iraq tonight. I don't know where he is going to because he is not allowed to say. I worry that he will get hurt or worse. I worry that the sweet, wonderful person that I have watched grow into a dignified and compassionate man will return as someone else, someone broken. I worry that the insurgent problem which is becoming more confident and organized is going to continue to grow stronger and no one will do anything about it. Our president is lying to us. He tells us we are winning the war. He tells us things are getting better in Iraq and they are headed towards an election. They will get their election, but that won't change the violence of a nation in chaos. That won't change the fact that we have brothers, husbands, cousins, friends, fathers, wives, sisters, and daughters fighting for their lives for no good reason.

I spoke with a classmate the other night and she was still riding the fence about who she should vote for. I didn't slap her. I asked her calmly what was left to ponder. She said she has heard many people say that W. should have the opportunity to finish what he started. Can you imagine if we allow that man to finish what he started? Take a good look at that mushroom cloud, people. That is what our president considers the "rapture." If a man believes in the end of the world and the apocalypse, can we afford for him to finish what he started? All of the other issues- social security, no child left behind, gay marriage- all of those things pale in comparison to the reality of a nuclear holocaust.

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