Marcus Silva

I discovered this guy today, and he gives me hope. I am not a pacifist. It's just that our policies put soldiers in harm's way and asks them to commit atrocities for the profit and power motives of a tiny minority of sick and deformed individuals. The invasion of Iraq was one of the most horrifying crimes in history, the senseless pain and loss for the Iraqi people incalculable, as well as for the well meaning and sincere individuals in our armed forces who's sincerity gets co-opted by the war criminals who put them there. Thank you Marcus, for your courage and integrity.

"My name is Marcus Silva. I'm a US Army veteran of the Iraq war. After 2 deployments, I decided to leave the military once I discovered the reality of U.S. foreign policy and my role as an occupier of a sovereign nation. I was led to believe that I was liberating the iraqi people, that I was fighting for my country. But instead I was lied to and sent to steal a nations wealth at the command of corporations and central banks. The people of iraq were never our enemy, they were just doing what anyone would do if an occupying army came into their country. Now knowing the truth, I refuse participation in Individual Ready Reserve, I refuse to every be used as a pawn for foreign policy. I reject U.S. imperialism, and so can you. Our Lives, Our Rights! www.OurLivesOurRights.org

Challenger: The Political Perversion of a Beautiful Animal

"Named in honor of the lost space shuttle crew, "Challenger" has performed free-flights during the USA's National Anthem at hundreds of events coast to coast—raising substantial public awareness for the Bald Eagle protection cause. He is the first Bald Eagle in American history trained to free-fly during the singing of the Star Spangled Banner. He has helped educate millions of people about the need to protect the USA's National Bird."

He is a beautiful animal. I am so sorry to see him co opted into the pathetic, cancerous disease of jingoistic propaganda. Patriotism is a lower aspect of human nature, an "Our team is the greatest!" perspective that, though it seems harmless enough at neighborhood ball games, has horrific results when blown out into world affairs, economic policies, multinational corporations, and most useless, ugly and destructive of all: military conquest and aggression. This is thinly disguised as "spreading freedom". The footage in your video of former president George W. Bush says more than you intended about the atrocity of military conquest, global hegemony and war profiteering in the guise of "freedom". Perhaps you could use Challenger to "raise awareness" about the horrifying destruction and pain caused for wild birds like him as well as whole ecosystems and entire species around the world by rampant US corporate profiteering and petrochemical war for profit military industries? That might actually do Challenger some justice.

You say you are raising awareness for the bald eagle? What a sad comedy. I fully appreciate your initiative to rescue Challenger and give him a good life, and the hard work this entails. I have worked with and for animals all my life, and gotten my hands dirty doing it many times. I've scraped the ground of wolves' cages, helped care for wild cats, exotic birds, climbed a fence in the hot sun to help build a new bear habitat, and rescued local wildlife injured by domestic animals. If Challenger could talk, I believe he would tell you how pathetic your video is. You do Challenger and his cause no service with this tasteless piece of blatant propaganda.



Tristan Luke