December 2003
January 2004

Views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily of the AFSC.

Christmas Message From a Grieving Dad Fernando Suarez is the father of Lance Corporal Jesus Alberto Suarez del Solar Navarro, a US Marine who was killed by "friendly" fire in Iraq this spring. Fernando Suarez has been outspoken against the war, and traveled to Iraq in December of 2003, where he visited the site where his son was killed. Fernando wrote this late at night on Christmas Eve upon returning home. For more on his trip to Iraq, please see the forthcoming issue of Draft NOtices, www.comdsd.org.

Dear Friends:

I find myself at home, accompanied only by my wife and my memories. We are sad, very sad, to feel so alone on such an important day for so many families. Besides, as my wife reminds me, we are also sad for so many families who this evening are missing their children and for those who still have hope that their children will return.

This evening on which we celebrate the birth of He who gave His life for us is an appropriate moment to reflect on what has become of our nation, what we have done to our children. Due to apathy, selfishness, or ignorance, many of us have not communicated well with our children and they, without guidance or models, enlist in the military, thinking that by doing so they will resolve their problems of how to get respect and an education, two things that many times they do not find at home. And what happens? They are deceived, they are lied to about the benefits, and many times they are sent into combat to die in unjust wars.

Due to apathy, ignorance, the fear of embarrassment at not being understood, and most often due to fear, many of us who are Latinos do not actively participate in the political life of this, our new country. We do nothing to become citizens so that we can vote for our representatives, and we allow others to make decisions for us. And what happens? People who are obsessed with power are elected as we saw in the election of Mr. Bush, and they carry us into a dark future like the war in which we find ourselves, a war in which hundreds of innocent Americans and thousands of innocent Iraqis have died.

On this evening, Christmas Eve, I invite you to please think about the children. Not American children whose eyes shine with the joy, the hope, and the comfort we provide them. No, let us not think about them just now but rather let us think about the children of Iraq. Those children whom I saw in the hospitals, sick, dying due to lack of medicine, due to our government's lack of feeling. Let us think about those children in whose eyes there is no light, no life, but only a sad and lost stare as if they were searching for a small ray of light that could show them their future. And who can provide that ray of light, of hope? We can. Yes, in our actions, with our will power, with our love for our fellow man. Let us take action--take to the streets and demand a stop to this illegal occupation of Iraq and the immediate return of our young soldiers.

We pray for them and we ask our Lord for the strength and the intelligence to be able to give them help and a life of hope and happiness.

Tonight, Christmas Eve, my wife and I are weeping and so are thousands of children around the world. Are you? Is Bush? Can Mr. Bush really have a merry Christmas with so many deaths on his conscience? Can he look at his own family in innocence? Can he kiss his wife and tell her he loves her? How can he do these things when he has not shown any mercy to our sons and daughters or to thousands of innocent Iraqis?

I only hope that our Lord, in his infinite justice and mercy, gives us the strength to continue our struggle for peace and justice. May God bless all of you and may He protect our troops. Merry Christmas and may 2004 be a year truly filled with happiness instead of death and destruction.

Your friend in peace.

Fernando Suarez

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