What Matters

[Marissa Silva-Garcia]

I interviewed my grandmother: she is sixty two years old, Mexican American, born and raised in the Rio Grande area, with light brown hair. Growing up poor, Bertha knew she wanted bigger and better things in life. She married and became a soldiers’ wife for twenty-eight years. After having three daughters, and being a bilingual teacher for twenty three years, she retired and is now a caretaker to my little two year old cousin.

As this year’s election slowly creeps up, and both candidates are talking about “change”, Bertha tells me that the war is her main concern. My grandmother, being a military wife, knows what it’s like going through the anxiety wondering if her husband would come back home from Vietnam War. We as a family have anxiously waited for my uncle’s safe returning from Iraq and Afghanistan two times. He had two kids, and three months after his third was born, he was called to duty for nine months. As my grandmother is talking about this I remember the endless prayers my family and I said for him. Thankfully, he came back just as he left but had many horrifying stories about the state of the war and friends he lost.

“It needs to end, she says. Too many young, innocent soldiers are dying, leaving behind disrupted families; they need to be brought home.”

Referring to nolanchart.com, “A total 609 American soldiers have died in Afghanistan, 4,177 in Iraq, and another 444 American contractors, bringing the total to 5,230 Americans dead in the War on Terror.”

Why this is the main concern to her, is not only because people are being killed, but because the country is spending so much money on this war. According to Washington Post, “By the end of the Bush administration, the cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, plus the cumulative interest on the increased borrowing used to fund them, will have added about $1 trillion to the national debt.”

My grandmother states, “As a result of the money being put aside for the war, we as U.S. citizens suffer.”

Thinking deeply about what she was saying, I then asked what action she would take if she had her own way. Bertha said she would first get well informed before doing anything drastic. She would visit Afghanistan to observe how things are and talk to some of the soldier’s one on one to find out their point of views. She wouldn’t pull out until Afghanistan would be stable without the U.S. help.

“As Iraq seems to be getting better, Afghanistan seems to be getting worse, she says. We need to concentrate more on Afghanistan and find Bin Laden.”

After getting all the facts straight she would then come back to get the cabinet together and tell them that the war needs to stop and that the soldiers need to come home. After this, see what actions they think should be taken to make ending the war as smooth as possible.

So as the presidential debates begin, my grandmother will be paying close attention to what the two candidates have to say on their views of the war and what they will do about it.

[Laura]

Your grandmother seems like a very informed and intelligent lady,i agree with her about the war i mean it seems like nonsense that all thos soldiers are getting killed and for what? I don't see anything really much changing in those countries.I'm not being ungrateful i'm actually very proud that we hqave our guardian angels protecting us going out and fighting for us,i just don't want them to die in vain, you know just having to fight because our presidents feel like it.

[Angel Barrera]

I agree with your Grandmother, we are fighting for a country that really doesn’t like us and are ungrateful for what we are doing for them. Many soldiers are dieing and leaving families with broken harts, broken harts that are really hard to heal. Families that don’t find an end to this war and know that the only thing they can do is to have faith and hope that their love ones return alive. Many protest have been made an yet they still there fighting for something that I really think it would end until every body kills every body.

[Justin La Cour]

I agree with your grandmother that we do need to put an extra focus back to Afghanistan and we need to re-strengthen our search for Bin Laden. i believe that we still need to be focused on Iraq but like all wars its just going to take time. I too would like to know what the candidates ideas are on the war and how they want to approach it, but as ive watched the debates and there speeches, ive become increasingly annoyed with there inability to give any details to there plans. They just give vague answers to appease the crowd.

[Esmeralda]

I can believe the number of soldiers that have died on war. “A total 609 American soldiers have died in Afghanistan, 4,177 in Iraq, and another 444 American contractors, bringing the total to 5,230 Americans dead in the War on Terror.” This is so sad I defiantly agree with your grandmother, I think that war needs to end now. Many families are suffering for their family member that have died or still fighting on Iraq. I think is a good idea that if there is something that I can do to change something about this situation I would do the same thing as your grandmother would do if she would take this situation in her own way I defiantly would visit Afghanistan to observe how things are and talk to some soldiers to find out what are they going trough. Its seems that your grandmother is very informed about the war I guess because she already went trough suffrage of having her husband in war. Many people are going trough same situations as Bertha's did and its so sad that their family member that are on war would come back alive or death.

[Jessica]

I agree with yout grandmother this war is just so not useful at all!!! I dont see anything good coming up from this war, I really think is not worth it at all! what I think is that the war is the worse way of wasting millions of dollars and risking innocent people.What is the point of the war if it is only killing young people or people that have families ? some of the soldiers dont even know their kids! besides what are they fighting for? whats the reason of this war? I only hope that the candidates stop this war as soon as possible and fix some other problems like the economy or some other social problems. they should use war money to something useful instead of wasting it in something that is not worth it.

[Maria]

Your Grandmother Bertha seems to be a well educated person and very intelligent. I agree with your grandmother this war needs to end like she says too many young innocents soldiers are dying and most of them are leaving behind disrupted family members and we are also spending too much money in this war. I think we should use that money to help the economy instead of having our soldiers in Iraq, because if you think about it we are helping a state that don’t want to be help they are killing our soldiers and there are families are suffering because of that. I can’t believe that a total 609 American soldiers have died in Afghanistan, 4,177 in Iraq, and another 444 American contractors, bringing the total to 5,230 Americans dead in the War on Terror that is so sad hearing the so many soldiers have died I think this war needs to end and we need to bring the troops back home as soon as possible. Hopefully the next president will do something about the war in Iraq.

[Bianca Vargas]

I had no idea that we were that much in debt! no wonder the economy is the way it is. we need to get out of there for sure while we have time if not our debt is going to be a lot higher than that. i think your grandma must really hate the war especially since her husband and your uncle have both served. i think a lot of people dont really take in mind the soldiers and everything they do for us, but wht do they get out of it.

[lamar hailey]

I agree with your grandmother in that we need to find a way to cut down on spending and try and get our soldiers home as soon as we can but I believe the best way to do that is to put more into so we can try and get this over with and bring everyone home knowing we did what we set out to do.
i really enjoyed this essay keep it up

[Josue I. Cruz-Lambert]

5,230 people.... well I suppose even though it is not good it does prove to be better rates than Hitler's. Anyhow it is true that war cost money but it also improves production and gives people jobs? Think about all the tanks needing repairs and all the personal currently on duty. Now think about the weapons and tool need for a war. The cost for all this production and surplus of jobs are life’s.... So we should really look at war not only in a negative way but also look at it's pros. After all we are already in the war and might as well keep going until the end. While McCain wants to stick around I feel the old timer will die before the war ends. Leaving his VP.... who can see the dinosaurs talking to the Russians from her balcony.... oh dear.... whatever shall we do? But yeah, the even though both major political party candidates have their own view we can all just stand by and see what they do end up doing… after talking is usually easier than taking action.

[Quinn Kevresian]

I strongly agree with your grandmother on that subject. It's like everyone forgot the "main" reason Bush decided to start the war, to get Bin Laden, which STILL hasn't been done! The troops over there do need to come back, too many are coming back with intense post war syndrome and it's hurting their families and too many of the troops are dying over there. All the troops are trying to do is help the community over there, but they've had our help for many years now and they should already know the basics on keeping their community going well.

[John Suchy]

I really enjoyed reading your essay. Your grandmother seems like a good-hearted women who has been through so much. I like how you used her experiece to relate to the problem of war. Her being a millitary wife, its a great comparison! It helped me better relate and understand your essay. I also like the information that your provided. Did the Bush Administration really add nearly 1 trillion dollars to our national debt?! If so, than what is this guy really thinking? I think that Bush may not realize what kind of financial hole he has put us in! I also liked how your grandmother said that the U.S. citizens are suffering because of money being but aside for the war. This isnt fair do those who oppose the war in Iraq and something fast must be done! Great Essay!

[Krystal Margaret Reyes]

The war is a main concern of mine in this election as well and I feel that this war should end but only after our job there is done. I understand that the families who have a loved one in the military suffer everyday that they are gone. However, I do believe and take pride in the fact that they chose to serve our country knowing the consequences. Iraq does seem to be getting better but still isn't quite where it needs to be. Concentration does need to be shifted over to Afghanistand to help them out just as we did with Iraq. In the up coming days of the election, I too will be paying close attention as to what each candidate has planned for this war.