Gabrielle,

Thank yo for your post. Personally, I get a little "ruffled" at the way many Americans veiw our troops, not to mention the way their families are forgotten and left to fend for themselves. The money our troops make is embarrassing and then to leave the families with little or no support - well America should hang its head in shame. I have personal experience with a family who's husband and father was sent to Iraq (21 months) and the income left to them was less than half of what they had been used to. It was only through the intervention of family, friends and a sympathetic congressman that saved their house, car and everything else. It was shocking to me to find out that our military families DO NOT  have the protections we are led to believe and are basically left to fend for themselves. Ones political veiws on this current conflict have no bearing with me on how we should veiw and treat our troops and their families. They have nothing to do with whether or not they are over there. So why do so many Americans find it so easy to treat them as if they were the enemy and then turn around and vote the same mindset that gets us into war in the first place into office (regardless of party!!!!).

the "Hillbilly Gardener"