1000 Days and Counting

In 1000 days, this president will go away, his time is up, his term is over, but let's not get excited anytime soon. Bush and his cronies will have done more damage to this country and our earth during his administration than anyone could have ever imagined.

I will always remember the night of the 2000 Presidential elections. I was not employed at the time, so I had the liberty of staying up all night to watch this slow moving train wreck. The networks were as confused as any of us. "We call Florida for Bush, no Gore, wait, no Bush". It went on for days as we waited for the Supreme Court to decide. The Supreme Court? Since when did they decide presidential elections? It seemed surreal to me. I remember thinking how awful it would be for this country to have Bush as the president. I quickly told myself, well, it will only be 4 years. How bad can it be? After 4 years people will realize how bad it had been and we could have a more reasonable person in charge of the country. It didn't work out that way.

It turns out, that the 2000 Presidential election was a day that changed my life forever. Because of Bush's election and because of the policies of his administration, my only child is dead. On 5.30.04, two Army soldiers knocked on my door to tell me that my son, Lt Ken Ballard was killed in battle in Najaf, Iraq.

When Bush was asked recently if there would be a day when there would be no more American soldiers in Iraq, he responded "That, of course, is an objective, and that will be decided by future Presidents and future governments of Iraq." He just doesn't care; it's not his responsibility anymore.

Nearly 18,000 American soldiers have been wounded. How high will that number grow in 1000 days? 2390 American soldiers have died in Bush's little regime change project. How many more will die in the next 1000 days?

Today is the 2 year anniversary of the death of Sgt Sherwood Baker, my friend's, the Zappala's oldest son. He was killed while protecting the Iraq Survey Group as they searched for the Weapons of Mass Destruction. He was the first Pennsylvania National Guardsman killed in combat since 1945.

This Saturday is the 2 year anniversary of the death of Sgt Adam Estep, my friend, Ken Estep's oldest son and Carrie's bonus son. Adam had been married barely 2 months when he was killed. He was a brilliant artist. Adam's unit, 1st Cavalry had arrived from Texas 30 days before.

April 2004 was a bad month with 140 Coalition soldiers dead; 4.67 a day. Now two years later, this April, in 2006, is on track to be a bad month for casualties as well. Things are not getting any better; it doesn't matter how many times Bush and his cronies tell us it is. He says that again and again and again, hoping that we will believe the lies that led to this war.

The President's numbers are at an all time low of 32%, and he continues to insist the that the best way to honor the sacrifices of the fallen is to complete the mission and to stay the course. Please do not honor the sacrifice of my son by killing one more person. Honor the sacrifice of my son with the truth.

As we mourn the loss of our soldiers, the US mainstream media doesn't report on Iraqi casualties. Their most precious resource, the Iraqi sons and daughters are being killed in this mess, too. We don't know the number, but it is estimated that the number is more than 30,000, and some say up to 100,000.

We are at the 1000 day countdown, but I'm not waiting. I will continue to speak out, meet with legislators, and work for change. I gave this country my best I had and I will not stop- what are you doing and what will you do to stop this war and this administration?

I hope this is a light at the end of the tunnel 1000 days away, but I fear it is another Bush freight train bearing down on us and is still out of control.