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 Exploding Into ActionPosted on Mar 13, 2007By Amy Goodman The United States is entering the fifth year of its violent, failed occupation of Iraq, a war that has lasted longer than the U.S. was involved in World War II. Through the grimly deepening quagmire, a strengthening, pervasive U.S. antiwar movement is emerging. An increasingly powerful voice comes from soldiers and their families, turning grief into action. Take the Arredondo family. On Aug. 25, 2004—Carlos Arredondo’s 44th birthday—a U.S. Marine van arrived outside his house. He thought that his son Alex had managed to come home from his second deployment to Iraq to surprise him. Instead, the Marines informed him that Alex had been killed in action in Najaf. Carlos lost his mind. He asked, he begged, the Marines to leave. He pleaded. They didn’t leave, so he ran to his garage and grabbed a hammer, gasoline and a blowtorch. He began pummeling the van. He climbed in, pouring the gasoline. His mother, distraught and wailing, tried to pull him from the van. The blowtorch accidentally sparked, and Carlos was blown from the van into the yard, in flames. Then his wife, Melida, arrived. She saw her husband burning. Carlos’ younger son, Brian, 16 years old, in Bangor, Maine, later saw the incident on television. This was the day he learned that the brother he loved and emulated was dead. Carlos suffered burns on more than one-quarter of his body. The physical healing was the easy part. It is the emotional healing that he pursues in his tireless and remarkable odyssey to end the war. To honor Alex’s memory, he has been crisscrossing the country, from Capitol Hill to Crawford, Texas, pulling a flag-draped coffin. He calls it his public mourning: “I want the caskets coming home to be very public. The government doesn’t want you to see them.” Carlos stopped for a few days this week in New York. He parked outside the military recruiting station in Times Square, where activists have established what they call the Endless War Memorial. For six days ending Friday, March 16, sunrise to sunset, hundreds of people are taking turns reading the names of the Iraq war dead—all the dead whose names could be discovered. The roughly 3,200 U.S. military fatalities, the other “coalition” casualties, the journalists and the 7,733 Iraqi names they were able to find. The organizers point out that there are 200 unnamed dead Iraqis for each of the thousands they have gathered (based on a study by the British medical journal Lancet that estimated more than 650,000 Iraqi dead). The scene is surreal and unforgettable. Passers-by stop by the flag-draped coffin Carlos has rolled out of the back of his pickup truck. There are Army boots of loved ones lost, and large photos of grieving Iraqi women and one of Alex in an open casket. This is all set against the massive video display atop the recruiting station. Among its slogans: “There is nothing on this green earth stronger than the US Army.” Above that, an even larger display promotes Fox News and Bill O’Reilly and flashes phrases like “Gitmo justice.” The famous Dow Jones news zipper runs its endless recitation of stock quotes and the daily count of dead and injured. A video ad for sunglasses flashes the words “Never Hide.” Carlos is heading next to Washington, D.C., to lead this weekend’s march on the Pentagon. As we part, Carlos shows me the latest recruiting letter sent to his son Brian. It contains a fake red, white and blue credit card with Brian’s name on it. It says: “This is not a credit card. It is money in the bank.” An earlier letter promises him a bonus of up to $20,000. “What can you do with $20,000? A new car? Pay off credit cards? Help your family? ... Remember the decisions you are making right now will have a huge impact on how the rest of your life turns out.” Which is exactly why Carlos prays his surviving son will not join up. Meanwhile, around the corner, each name read represents a once living, breathing, complex human being whose life was snuffed out as a result of this four-year-old war. Alongside the named dead are living people, like Carlos, following their consciences, making connections, building a movement, each day bringing the end of the war one day closer. Amy Goodman is the host of “Democracy Now!” a daily international TV/radio news hour airing on 500 stations in North America. © 2007 Amy Goodman; distributed by King Features Syndicate Previous item: Campaign 2008: Adultery Becomes Ho-Hum Next item: Fabricated Evidence, Round Two? Elsewhere: . CommentsAre you a Truthdig member yet? Login now, or register with Truthdig.
By Lou, April 4, 2007 at 1:27 pm # I don’t understand how so many Americans still do not perceive the threat muslim terrorists present. The Middle East war is very different from past ones in that if we don’t fight them in their turf and defeat them they will follow us home.
By Bill Blackolive, March 23, 2007 at 8:50 am # Ian Lowson could be financed. Check his mental order:If Blackolive is a lunatic why should Blackolive be financed. Meantime, Amie, I see you are gaining ground inside the corporate order and trying not to be labled crazy during this outflanking....I will at least myself try to be patient. I’ve just thought we need the louder voices heard. Maybe your friend Gore Vidal who is loudly outside, knows 9/11 is this pitiful coverup, can suggest something in approach. You know, it had better get done.
By daniel, March 22, 2007 at 5:11 am # I still have confidence in the people of the United States. They will…
By Tony Somera, March 20, 2007 at 8:33 pm # Bush knows if he pulls out of Iraq without something that can be spun into a positive result, the onus will stick to the Republican Party for years to come. We will always know that yet another product of the Ivy League will have treated this country’s sons as cannon fodder unless he can keep the war going until a Democrat pulls us out. People like Amy do what they can, but if the rest of us don’t wake up and take this country back from the rich elites, nothing will ever change.
By Jon Dixon, March 20, 2007 at 10:31 am # Thank you, for another informative column, Amy Goodman. Mr. Arredondo deserves a lot of credit for going out day after day, in spite of the overwhelming background noise described in your article, to share his messege and perspective. I regret that I missed your interview on ABC; my computer was down, so I did not get the e mail until yesterday. “Static” was great, eye opening, educating and by implication scary. I hope many are reading it. I have just started “The Exception To The Rulers”. I didn’t realize how close you were to ground zero.
By Ann Marshall, March 19, 2007 at 5:12 pm # Dear Amy
By Jeannie Brown, March 19, 2007 at 3:40 pm # Thank you, thank you, thank you, Amy Goodman and all the good people of Democracy Now. I am grateful to you for that rarest of treasures THE TRUTH I respect Carlos Arrondo and honor the memory of his son Alex. Impeach Bush/Cheney now. If not now then WHEN?
By Dave Tonetti, March 19, 2007 at 12:27 am # Amy,
By Shannon LaLonde, March 18, 2007 at 11:51 am # Two years ago, when this “flumox” was in its early stages, I read three essays by Gore Vidal that had been written far earlier than the invasion. One was “Blood For Oil”...I do believe that the only, only reason we are there is to try and capture the pipelines and control the oil distribution in the Middle East. I also believe that our present govenment is being run by self-interested criminals and their greedy corporate backers. It’s an embarrassment to watch the lies they are promulgating to us and to the rest of the world.(Who isn’t so gullible)!
By Hans, March 18, 2007 at 6:39 am # Bush and his gang are much worse than Hitler and he Nazis. They have raped the soul of the US-American people.
By marian slattery, March 17, 2007 at 4:21 pm # Amy, I see integrity in your view and presentation that seems to imbue the/this listener/reader with a feeling of power; your speaking truth to power gives us the power of truth Thank you to The Arrendondo family and to all of those who put that power into action and thank you for keeping us all in the conversation.
By zaz, March 17, 2007 at 3:24 am # Carlos is exemplifying, in a relatively restrained way, what a tribal member does when one of the tribe is killed.... Peace
By Richard Sharp, March 17, 2007 at 3:14 am # This is such a gut-wrenching story, and there millions of others. The tens of thousands of Americans killed and injured for life and their families and friends. The millions of Iraqis killed and injured, and the five million that have fled their country. Then there’s Afgnanistan and who knows, maybe Iran. So sad. So unbelievable. Except it’s actually happening, well under the radar of the mainstream media. Richard Sharp
By Ray Wiencek, March 17, 2007 at 1:29 am # Amy, I would like to thank all the families involved in this terrible war. I pray for them daily.Ray
By Allan Dane, March 17, 2007 at 12:38 am # Amie I believe that Americans are being misled by the Bush Administration and I strongly suspect that many Americans believe the same as I do. However, the actions of Carlos Arredondo accomplish very little with an administration that believes that it has all of the answers: that administration will continue to perform as it has the last seven years, irrespective of what unfortunate individuals such as Carlos may want… My advice to Carlos and all Americans who believe that President Bush may be insane is to thoroughly question your Representative and your Senator before the next election to satisfy yourselves as to whether their views make sense! Some of the recent actions of President Bush and his cabinet are remarkably similar to those by Adolph Hitler and Benito Mussolini in 1938....
By Ray Wincek, March 16, 2007 at 7:27 pm # Amy, This is compelling story. Carlos reaction to the terrible news is certanily understandable to parents who lose a child. This ugly war is being fought for one reason, which is the"corporate greed” for OIL. Wrapped in a flag and promoted by fear and lies. The action by Carlos is a “wake up call” to reality and I commend his march for TRUTH with all protest against this American disaster
By Ian Lowson, March 16, 2007 at 5:47 pm # Dear Amy: You must be haunted by lunatic blowbowls like Bill Blackolive - probably subsidized by the opposition to discredit your causes and brand you too a crazy. But there are a multitude of us out there who admire you for your integrity and courage. Today for instance I was moved by your piece on the hunger-striking Alarian(?) and the shameful treatment meted out to him by so-called judges.
By Matt Auble, March 16, 2007 at 4:42 pm # Interesting article, but why are we still referring to the occupation in Iraq a war. The war was over quickly, and then it became an occupation. The difference is important. Most people don’t like the idea of losing the war, but might not mind ending an occupation.
By John Buchanan, March 16, 2007 at 4:19 pm # Thank you all, Melida, Brian, Carlos and Amy.
By Jim Pitzer, March 16, 2007 at 4:19 pm # I am a world war 2 vetran and I deplore Bush going in front of our troops. No president that can’t show for one year and half his service duty is fit to go before our troops. I get sick to my stomack. In his entire life has not been sucessful in any endeaver his father set him up in.His AWOL is enough to charge for treason but
By ray, March 16, 2007 at 4:12 pm # Carlos Arredondo has more honor in his little toe than Prince Geo. W. Bush ever knew existed. I wish Mr. Arredondo Godspeed and good health on his expedition.
By OregonLeft, March 16, 2007 at 3:34 pm # truthdig, that you for posting Exploding Into Action, on Mar 13, 2007 By Amy Goodman.
By Dawn M. Gilbert, March 16, 2007 at 3:16 pm # Amy,
By Lester Schonbrun, March 16, 2007 at 3:07 pm # Amy, I appreciate your enormous efforts to bring the truth to us. But I don’t agree with you when you say this war has been a failure. It’s only a failure if we believe the nonsense that it’s about democracy or terrorism. If, on the other hand, it’s about establishing bases and reaping profits from weapons investments, and pushing our hegemonic perimeter farther toward the old USSR—then it’s an unqualified success. I believe there’s a “them,” the oligarchy, and they are getting what they want, and getting away with murder. Lester S.
By Bill Blackolive, March 16, 2007 at 8:39 am # Amie,I am primitive and my damaged computer is not letting folks comment to me on my comments (one dozen individyuals per frustrating 24 hours). Maybe I have reached you before, maybe not. Too many trees here, point is never in history do 3 (not 2)(news media, we wish)skyscrapers sink in manner of controlled demolition, from impact or flame or faulty engineering, but hallucination via schizoid brainwash. I much admire you and like you did get on this LOOSE CHANGE extraordinary young man. People have got to gather calmly under the radar so what somebody like Obama gets to be president. It now is time our citizens get jerked awake that God does not like us best. Don’t you agree. Put the billions into humanity not war. Anyone might talk to me at texasgang.net, txgang at localnet dot com, 361-758-2509, i776 N. McCampbell, Aransas Pass, tx 78336. Our salvation can be reality and nothing more. Add Your Comment |
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