I can't be drafted but I have three boys, 27, 25, 22. I have 4 friends who have lost kids in accidents. The grief is unbearable. The change in people's psyches, permanent. Horrible to observe and participate. The loss is senseless. I have a 23 year old nephew in the Army. He has been to Iraq once. He is due to deploy again in September. He is like a brother to my 22y/o and I am his favorite Auntie. My oldest went into the army in 1999 and was discharged in 2003. Don't think I wasn't sweatin'. He went in specifically to help with education costs but didn't think the discipline and training were going to hurt either. I was sweating 'stop loss' but many people wanted his MOS so it wasn't a problem. My dad was a WWII vet. I worked in a Veterans' old folks home for 10 years. I watched guys who hadn't ever talked about the war, break down in their 80's, when dementia onset weakened the doors to the memories. The one I am thinking of, didn't cry about being captured or being held POW but because he was the pilot of a downed plane and the crew was killed. He still felt guilty after all those years, that he had survived. War fucks with your head. Some how having dinner every night as a young teen with the Viet Nam war, made me feel like the war was in my house. My dad was for the war at first but became very opposed later. The casualty count was a lot higher then and the boys were drafted. I hated that draft! I just want the chickenhawks to be so scared they might have to go that the war will end. I also think the deployents are too long and too often. We are making some people sacrifice way more than their fair share. Young repubs need to step up to the belief plate and ship out.