SOLDIER LETTERS

From: _____________
To: mike@michaelmoore.com
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2003 06:35:09
Subject: Active Duty Service woman here…

Dear Mr. Moore,

I enlisted in the military shortly after President Bush was elected. In that brief amount of time, I have watched the country I serve change in terrifying ways.

I was selected to be an intelligence troop, and collect and translate foreign language related intelligence for a living. When I began my training, most of the civilians back home could barely name the capital of the country in which my target language was used.

Many, many people told me not to enter the military. Many, many people (inside and out of the military) treat me disrespectfully now that I'm in--and believe me, I understand it. After all, I'm female, I am part of a certain minority that the military does not favor, I'm liberal and I’m pro-choice... the list goes on. I feel like I should be writing private memoirs to my future children, explaining how their mother, with all her beliefs, her ideals, could have volunteered for President George W. Bush’s military.

Here, my encouragement for you: you are absolutely right in exercising your rights as an American citizen.

Do you have any advice for what military members can do to support your cause? I'm not interested in breaking the rules and regulations that I pledged to keep--I want to do what I can, and encourage others to do what they can within the confines of the Constitution and the Universal Code of Military Justice. Our choices are limited.

Because we are volunteers. Because we chose. Because my job is important, and I love it. I would love it more if there weren’t so many doubts and allegations surfacing over the administration’s use of the intelligence that its loyal military and civilian personnel work so hard for, 24 hours a day, worldwide.

I have not been able to take leave yet. I am not complaining; what is necessary is necessary. I would not be happy to leave my brothers and sisters in arms here, taking a vacation and increasing their work. And the needs of the American people we protect, and yes, Mr. Ashcroft, the security of our nation come before our own.

It is difficult to tell people back home how much work we do, when Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld assures the world that we are not stretched too thin. I know only that I do the work of three people some days.

And surely there are other service members in positions worse than my own.

So, sir... I want to do whatever I can to help.

And I want to be a good soldier.

It should amount to being the same thing: loving my country.

Advice?

And thank you, so very much, for everything you're doing.

Doing my best to protect our country, just as you are.

Active-Duty Service Woman

Read another letter
Back to the Index