"The Marlboro Marine"

The LA Times has a FANTASTIC slideshow about the Iraq war and the effects it has on the marines in combat. This is a very moving piece and I would encourage every one to watch it. It is in two parts with an epilogue from the photographer at the end. In the first part, the marine tells a story about how he travelled to Washington, D.C. to meet with elected officials about the affects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. At the meeting one congressman never showed up and when the marine went to the congressman's office to talk with him, he was told by the secretary that the congressman didn't have time to meet with him. An elected official, who is partly responsible for the Iraq war would not take 10 minutes out of his schedule to meet with a war-torn man who had something to say about his experience. The United States congressman would not even give the marine the time of day or a few minutes of his time to learn from a man who experienced war first-hand. I think this is deplorable. Let this be a lesson to the politicians running for office now; care about the people you represent, especially the ones giving their lives for the country you say you believe in.