Why would a proud Marine Combat Veteran of the Korean War come out against war; because I am talking about the President’s intention to start a first strike war against Iraq? Our war in Afghanistan was unavoidable. Our beloved Boulder City, brother and hero, Matthew Commons, gave his life there. At the special Paving Stone Ceremony in his honor that was held a few weeks ago at the Veteran’s Cemetery, I listened to the words of Matthew Commons Mama. Although she grieved, she was able to speak proudly of her son who gave his life for his country.

I grieved with Matthew’ s Commons Mama, and I remembered how my own Mama had a nervous breakdown while I was on the frontlines in the last stages of the Korean War. She was never able to work again the rest of her life.

Mama’s, sometimes you have to let your babies grow up to be soldiers, but attacking Iraq is not one of those times. The President’s idea that we have to strike before Saddam builds up weapons of mass destruction is total insanity. Even if Iraq built up such weapons would they attack the U.S.? No they would not! Why, for the same reason the Russians never attacked us and we never attacked them; because it would lead to mutual destruction. Iraq can come nowhere near the destructive power of the Soviet Union in the next hundred years. They will not attack us unless we box them into a corner which is what Bush’s War would accomplish

And Mama’s; Iraq will not attack their neighbors with weapons of mass destruction, because they know that if they did all the allies that supported us in the justified Gulf War, plus many others would join the United States and Saddam would then say Bye, Bye to this world.

Finally, Mama’s, the President’s War on Iraq cannot be fought antiseptically as he thinks. We cannot successfully strike long range with our own destructive technical weaponry without loosing many American lives. Many of your babies will die in this unjustified Bush War, and many will be blinded, paralyzed, or lose parts of their bodies. And many as they lay dying and wounded will call for you, "Mama, Mama."

And we cannot avoid massive Iraqi civilian casualties, innocent men, women and children. What about the soldiers of Iraq? What about their Mamas? Even if Saddam is evil, are his soldiers evil as well, or do they just obey the commands of their leaders, as any soldier must do. The worse thing that will be accomplished by such a war is that we will create millions more who will hate us and come as terrorists with hidden weapons of mass destruction to kill your babies even while they are still in their cribs. MARCH MAMAS MARCH