thanks jayfo

[elysiangirl]

ray reynolds e-mail
reposted from an e-mail

As I head off to Baghdad for the final weeks of my stay in Iraq, I wanted to say thanks to all of you who did not believe the media.
They have done a very poor job of covering everything that has happened. I am sorry that I have not been able to visit all of you
during my two-week leave back home. And just so you can rest at night knowing something is happening in Iraq that is noteworthy, I
thought I would pass this on to you. This is the list of things that has happened in Iraq recently:
(Please share it with your friends and compare it to the version that your paper/TV is putting out.)

* Over 400,000 kids have up-to-date immunizations.
* School attendance is up 80% from levels before the war.
* Over 1,500 schools have been renovated and rid of the weapons stored there so education can occur.
* The port of Uhm Qasar was renovated so grain can be off-loaded from ships faster.
* The country had its first 2 billion barrel export of oil in August.
* Over 4.5 million people have clean drinking water for the first time ever in Iraq.
* The country now receives 2 times the electrical power it did before the war.
* 100% of the hospitals are open and fully staffed, compared to 35% before the war.
* Elections are taking place in every major city, and city councils are in place.
* Sewer and water lines are installed in every major city.
* Over 60,000 police are patrolling the streets.
* Over 100,000 Iraqi civil defense police are securing the country.
* Over 80,000 Iraqi soldiers are patrolling the streets side by side with US soldiers.
* Over 400,000 people have telephones for the first time ever
* Students are taught field sanitation and hand washing techniques to prevent the spread of germs.
* An interim constitution has been signed.
* Girls are allowed to attend school.
* Textbooks that don't mention Saddam are in the schools for the first time in 30 years.

Don't believe for one second that these people do not want us there. I have met many, many people from Iraq that want us there, and
in a bad way. They say they will never see the freedoms we talk about, but they hope their children will. We are doing a good job in
Iraq and I challenge anyone, anywhere to dispute me on these facts. So If you happen to run into John Kerry, be sure to give him my
email address and send him to Denison, Iowa. This soldier will set him straight. If you are like me and very disgusted with how this period
of rebuilding has been portrayed, email this to a friend and let them know there are good things happening.

Ray Reynolds, SFC
Iowa Army National Guard

Comments

[grubber.livejournal.com]

its in Snopes...did you see that?

[elysiangirl.livejournal.com]

nope, i saw this on my friends list.

what's snopes?

[grubber.livejournal.com]

in Jay's entry I posted a link...Snopes is an Urban Legends site that disproves a lot of stories...this one is mostly true

[elysiangirl.livejournal.com]

oh...ok.

thanks, honey.

:)

[grubber.livejournal.com]

sure!

[aetra.livejournal.com]

You know the saying, "No news is good news"? Well, unfortunately, to the media, it seems like the reverse is also true, "Good news is no news." It's not just the "liberal" media either - the conservative outlets are just as bad. They all all concentrate on the bad news - but I guess it's not entirely their fault because that's what sells.

It's just like everything. There is bad stuff and good stuff, too. That's why I hate those huge paintbrushes.

[elysiangirl.livejournal.com]

amen, girl.

[angryvixen.livejournal.com]

Uh, I think they mean taking out all the LIES Saddam had them put in the books about them. If Hitler had it put into history books that Jews were devils, I'm sure as hell no one would complain about that getting taken out of the books. Saddam put his own personal propaganda into history books. He basically rewrote history to fit his own desires.

[elysiangirl.livejournal.com]

i'm not sure about the facts in this, i just liked the idea of thinking about the GOOD that is going on over there since everyone seems so focused on the bad.

and in reference to your question, i have no idea.

[northrngirl.livejournal.com]

Yes, it's amazing what over $50 billion dollars can do isn't it.

< / sarcasm >

Sorry Heather - you know I'm all for troup support and I'd be the first one standing in line for it. I'm just not supportive about how we went about doing this in the first place. That is not the soldiers' fault though - it is that of the lovely Commander in Chief.

And that is just my two cents on a subject I never bring to LJ.

[elysiangirl.livejournal.com]

well, i understand your position, of course. and don't disagree necessarily. your opinion and your feelings are always welcome here, honey.

i was just tired of all the negative so i thought i would try to bring some focus to the good.

[northrngirl.livejournal.com]

i was just tired of all the negative

Couldn't agree with you more. :)

[the-dibbler.livejournal.com]

and i think a lot of people feel the way you do, i know that this i how i feel about the whole mess.

[northrngirl.livejournal.com]

I know there are many that feel the same way. Politics is something I rarely approach on LJ. I've seen what can happen - hence I tend to keep quiet. :)

[gig-em.livejournal.com]

I saw this the other day. Good one, Heather.

[elysiangirl.livejournal.com]

thanks, toots.

[miscca.livejournal.com]

:) thanks.

:)

[elysiangirl.livejournal.com]

welcome. i don't know how accurate it is, but it does remind us that maybe there IS some good going on.

[greenstripe.livejournal.com]

it's really nice to see the good but i wish some of that kazillion dollars could go into our own schools here in our own country.

[elysiangirl.livejournal.com]

:)

[waringfaction.livejournal.com]

hey, I added you, hi.

I hardly talk my politics on LJ but like you I think, I would want this letter to be true to life and don't see where if those good things are happening that it is somehow a bad thing for anyone, however each person is free to disagree. I see plenty of LJ friends that are 180 degrees from my politics and yet I still really like hearing from them, of course I just don't do with political talk with them.

[elysiangirl.livejournal.com]

hi yourself!

i agree, i just got so tired of hearing the bad, i wanted to hear some good, even if it's not true, it could remind us there is good out there. i'm am, however, one who speaks my mind but love hearing others' views because i can learn something or i can respectfully agree to disagree.

thanks for adding me, i'm on my way to add you back. and welcome to my crazy little life. :)

[miscca.livejournal.com]

Hey-

Can I resend this to someone, or post a link to this post in your LJ to another person's LJ? Specifically, in deviantsaint's LJ in response to a comment someone made to my comment.

Lemme know :)

[elysiangirl.livejournal.com]

of course, sweetie. whichever you want, i didn't originate it.

[miscca.livejournal.com]

thank you ma'am :)

Also - burglary - I think you're desensitized because of what happened to your car. Also helps your house wasn't ransacked, mine was (down to my underwear drawer!! :-/)

I'm glad you're doing well, you're a tough cookie ;)

[elysiangirl.livejournal.com]

yes, it helps very much that there was minimal mess and damage. and i AM a tough cookie! ;)

and i'm sorry about yours, too.

*smooch*