Turning their back on her sons

This letter to the editor by Cathy Floyd appears in the Charlotte Observer:

Our son is in Iraq.

He is in the infantry. This is his second tour. His commitment was supposed to be over this spring. He is not getting out or coming home then. He is staying until his unit's deployment is over and their mission completed -- whenever that is.

His younger brother is in Army ROTC and expects to be commissioned into the infantry later this year.

The Army did not pay either son's tuition. We did. They don't "owe" this to the government.

Nobody wants this war over more than we do.

My sons accepted danger

The older one started his journey toward this three-year tour in the Army before Sept. 11, 2001, but he did not sign the dotted line and commit himself until the summer of 2002. It was clear at the time that this nation would be at war with Islamofascist extremists somewhere in the world by the time he graduated from college and entered active duty.

The younger one started his ROTC program that same year and signed his commitment in 2004, long after it had become clear that the war against terror was not a walk in the park and would not be over in a couple of months, as Desert Storm had been. He was already simultaneously enlisted in the South Carolina National Guard when he committed to extending his tour by six years after officer training.Unlike our politicians, Brian and Paul are unable to change their minds according to the latest poll.

The older one has seen war, with its death, destruction and evil, up close and personal. His roommate was killed by an IED last time. He has lost several friends and seen several others in his "band of brothers" sustain life-changing injuries.

He doesn't like it much.

But he wouldn't leave his men if Congressman Robin Hayes himself sent a helicopter over there with special orders to bring Lt. Floyd home to his mother right this minute.

His is a level of commitment and character that few politicians are able to fathom.

The younger one has seen that war is not much fun for the families at home.

He doesn't get to change his mind, either.

He doesn't want to.

Gutless fat cats in Congress

Meanwhile, those who have sent them to war have turned on them. That includes our politicians and many of the American public who are more wrapped up in and knowledgeable about the Anna Nicole saga than they are about the history of this great nation and the threats we now face.

Two hundred and eighteen gutless fat cats in Congress have passed a bill telling the world that we are quitting in less than 18 months.

Now, let me get this straight: We're going to put our men and women in danger every minute for 17 months but we have no objective other than to leave?

Why not leave now if we are just throwing in the towel?

Who knows how many self-serving demagogues in the Senate will jump on this bandwagon? It all depends on the media and the polls, I think.

And, oh yes, one more thing was driving the House vote:

Money.

Pork.

I call it Blood Money -- and I come from a long line of peanut farmers.

They sweetened their little bill with ridiculous pork projects, paid for by us, and designed to bribe a few congressmen who were on the fence, trying to decide if they should go with what they know is right for the country and for our servicemen or if they should play politics in order toimprove their chances of holding on to their dream jobs.

A little money thrown in to the decision-making process usually helps to clear up all the confusion.

They sicken me.

I'm tired of them playing their games.

Memo to Congress

Here's my memo to Congress.

Dear senators and representatives:

If this nonsense continues, I want my son on the first chopper out of there. My boys will lay down their lives for all of you. You have no right to turn on them. AND YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO RISK THEIR LIVES FOR NOTHING.

If you think I'm mad, you don't even want to think about the hurt and anger of the majority of those thousands of servicemen and women who have sacrificed their physical and mental health or of the families who have lost loved ones for a cause that we are now told is not important.

I would say that is the voice of absolute moral authority speaking truth to power as the libs like to say. There is nothing in her letter that I disagree with. She should be proud of her sons and she has every right to be angry with the politicians who voted to stab them in the back.