Reader comments
LDS veteran makes film about his march for troop withdrawal

I am 100% behind you. I wish I had known about the walk. I did support the war in the beginning and am now ashamed of that. I have that on my conscience and appreciate anyone who is out there promoting a peaceful resolve to America's mistakes. We can make this right and do something to help the people in Iraq.

God Bless.

Bravo!

Mr. Thompson brings dishonor to the uniform he wore and to the great mem and women who have sacrificed their lives so that he can walk up and down Utah with his protest.

Congratulations to this young man and his family for their courageous stand. Does anyone know how to find out where the other viewings are? I live in Illinois and would like to see this.

I have served one tour in Iraq and recieved notice this last week that I will likely serve another before too long. I have several friends who are now serving and one of my unit members died while serving there. I believe that we need to see this through to a succesful conclusion. The surge in Iraq is working. Students of military history recognize that successful counterinsurgency efforts require about 10 years. Nothing worthwhile in life comes without challenge. If we succeed in our efforts it will be as significant an event as the falling of the Berlin Wall. We owe it to all servicement who have served and especially to those who have fallen in battle that we not prematurely pull out before the job is done.

Very Sad exercise of free speech

I respect this mans opinion, but I think he is out of touch with reality. He doesn't know the consequence of pulling the troops out of Irag. It will effect what goes on in our own country. Even though I respect his opinion. I think he is a gutless wonder.

Our invasion of Iraq was wrong and unnessasary. To continue will not make it right. For us to control Iraq would be a great benefit to our nation's wealth and security but that does not justify our occupation. There are many pieces of earth that would benefit us to own, but earth is not ours to own and not all human life wants to be made over in our image. We have to live and work with the rest of the world for mutual benefit and not emperialistic possesion. We have over 700 military bases in over 130 countries while there are no foriegn bases on our land. How would we react if we were invaded and occupied.

Just before I entered the Army in 1975 I received my Patriarchal Blessing, was told that military service was in keeping with my second estate, earth life. I spent 21 years in service and will defend this persons right to protest, however wrong he may be. I would love to bring our troops home, however, we can not pull out until the job is done or those who have died will have died in vain. I have talked with people who have served this time around, I retired in 1996, that we are needed and they want us there. 80% of the country is as peaceful as life in my small town of Northern California. The press don't tall us cause it wont sale papers. This info came from people who served there and while out on patrol a lot of the Iraq people treat them with kindness and offer them food and water I may be retired but I steel love my Army, and I wonder how many soldiers I trained have been wounded or killed. If we wont to be free we most protect, we can not be Isolated like we were just before Pearl Harbor

We all want peace. No rational human wants war, but there are a few irrational people out there who love to hurt and kill. If you saw someone getting mugged or beat up would it be wrong to stand on the sideline. You could console yourself with how peaceful you are. This is a part of the world where might makes right whether that might is good or evil. We are not there to rule the country, but to let the people learn to rule themselves. Every democratic constitution in the world is patterned after the U.S. constitution; that has to say something.
I want the troops home as much as anybody; war is a horrible thing, but to just yank the troops now would be the biggest mistake since going half-heartedly into Vietnam.

I read this in the LDS news section, thinking that this was news about the LDS church or in relationship to it. All this story said was that he was an LDS man, so if Deseret News is going to stick every news story that involves LDS people, then wouldn't 80% of their news need to be put under this section? So if an LDS soldier does a walk in support of the war, will they do a story about that? We do not have all the intelligence that the leaders of this nation have, but we do know that we are no longer safe from terrorists. To say that we should not have gone to Iraq is to say that you would prefer to let those people be tortured and killed by Sadam and sons, is it not our duty as a strong country to help and protect those who are under the hand and gun of tyranny? I am proud and respect those soldiers that freely serve our country and do it for our country and not for their personal agenda. This is a volunteer service, no one is drafted, don't join if you don't agree.

As an Army JAG Officer I felt betrayed and amazed that the US would forego the war against terrorists in lieu of a war in Iraq, a war with no relevance to fighting Al Qaeda. I felt even more betrayed when the Bush administration blackballed then fired (had resign) Gen. Shinseki, the consummate soldier�s soldier and the only high ranking official who was honestly attempting to tell Americans the true cost of this war of choice. I felt even worse when the Bush administration put aside the Geneva Convention and basic law of war principals in Iraq, principals that I spent many hours studying at the JAG School and many hours teaching soldiers. God Bless America. However, God will only help those who help themselves. The US has dug itself into a deep and dark pit in Iraq. If Mr. Thompson seeks to shed light in the abyss, more power to him.

If you truly believe in Christs teachings and not just to show lip service. Than ask yourselves what would Jesus do if He were the president of the US. Would He be so fast to react to an attack on this country or would He find out what is making the otherside tick. Fear is what leads to war, nothing more and nothing less. People have said that we as Americans can't talk to those terrorists. Is it possible to look within us as a nation first and see what could possibly make other nations and people dispise us so much? There was a done in 2003 that asked people from other countries who they feared most North Korea or the U.S., the answer was seven percent feared North Korea while 85 percent feared the U.S. It may be time to look at ourselves and ask why does the world fear us so much? Could it be that we think that someone like Saddam maybe a threat so we are going to take action to prevent any terrorist from attacking us so we attack them first? Are we now no better than a terrorist?

I have never been to war. I have no claim to any special knowledge or understanding that one who has been there can make. I honor all those men and women who serve or have served in times of war. I thank Mr. Thompson for following his conscience and serving his country when called upon to do so. He is a hero to all Americans and does no dishonor to his uniform for expressing his feelings at this time. If he is "out of touch with reality," as one person expressed it, perhaps it is because of what he saw and did there. As I said, he was and is an American hero for serving his country in times of war. He is also an American hero for standing up for what he believes to be right. I lived through another very unpopular war just over three decades ago and I have often wondered about what became of the American heros brave enough to stand up and say, "Enough, this just isn't right." Hurrah for the heros at home and abroad.

We have a right to defend ourselves against those who would harm us and to help defenseless people in the world. That is what we have done and are doing in the Middle East. If we read the scriptures, we know that we will not have peace on the earth until our Savior returns, as is prophesied. I say thankyou, thankyou to those brave men who put their lives on the line for others, those who have given their lives over centuries to preserve freedom!

I am a 20 year Air Force veteran. Potentially using violence against an innocent civilian can happen in any war, not to mention many police confrontations here at home. The Army and Marines in Iraq have demonstrated remarkable and consistent restraint in their relations with the citizens of Iraq. Those who stray are punished by court-martial.

Fatal casualties in Iraq are low, about 1% of the force. Total deaths of all active duty soldiers are DOWN now from ten years ago, since there were more people being killed then in accidents, in training and in vehicles, than are now killed by hostile fire.

The last year has demonstrated that the situation is improving. Al Quaida's forces in Iraq are losing ground. Pulling out now would be the stupidest thing any Army has ever done. Like Vietnam, it would result in millions of Iraqis becoming refugees in the US overnight. If you think the US is burdened by illegal immigration of Catholics, how about assimilating six million Sunni and Shiite Muslims? Iraq could become a chaos of invasion from Turkey in the north and Iran in the south, with Al Quaida in Baghdad, making Darfur look like a picnic.

As an active, believing Latter-day Saint, I'm ashamed at how many of my fellow Mormons support this war. This is not a war to defend our familes and our freedom -- it was preemptive and aggressive, a reaction of an immature President who had a score to settle with daddy's old adversary and who was egged on by warmongering neoconservative think tanks. The only people benefitting from the Iraq war are the private contractors who supply weapons and materiel. This is what Eisenhower warned us about -- a military/industrial complex that runs our foreign policy.

Meanwhile Bush's war creates the very enemies we have to destroy. Every time we kill an innocent bystander, arrest the head of a family, or injure a child, we make these people hate America forever. Thus the "war on terror" perpetuates itself -- a war without end because WE REFUSE TO END IT.

I love my country. I fear my government.

Wake up, America. Wake up, Latter-day Saints. The Constitution is hanging by a thread.

Brilliant comments, MrWhipple.

Should the article have read "censured", instead of "censored by his superiors"?

-Jerry

I am an LDS Air Force Officer who treats AF and Army troops for PTSD and war related mental health problems. What a terrible price these troops make to leave their families (and often livelihood) to fight a war. Many of them come back asking the question - what did my combat buddies die for? Hard question to answer. I do not like the war or how we got into it. I side with the previous sentiment

"The only people benefitting from the Iraq war are the private contractors who supply weapons and material. This is what Eisenhower warned us about -- a military/industrial complex that runs our foreign policy.

I love my country. I fear my government."

All sane humans want peace, but can peace always be had in a world where good and evil are at constant war? The United States and its allies could have had peace with Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan, and Fascist Italy, without firing a shot, if the citizens of these free nations had wanted to live in bondage as slaves and victims of tyrants. The Islamofascists will not stop trying to destroy free men and women until they are decisively and totally defeated! Their fanatical motivation is to either convert the entire world to fascistic Islam (a word that means "submission) or kill or enslave anyone who opposes them.

No good man or woman enjoys war, but there are times when just people are "fighting for a better cause", i.e., the defense of liberty, families, and the right to worship God individually as each sees fit. Simply being anti-war at all costs is naive and unwise in the extremely dangerous world we live in today! The kind of peace we ought to strive for comes only by conquering evil and selfishness in our on hearts with God's help.