Yesterday we published Tomas Young’s “Last Letter: A Message to George W. Bush and Dick Cheney from a Dying Veteran”, in which the 33-year old U.S. Army veteran, paralyzed from the chest down during an ambush on a rescue mission in Iraq in 2004, announces his plan to soon allow himself to die, as his physical condition has intolerably deteriorated.
We included a link to our own interview with Tomas in 2005 when he first came down from Kansas City to “Camp Casey” in Crawford, TX, on his honeymoon, in support of Cindy Sheehan whose son Casey was killed on the same day, in the same city — 4/4/04 in Sadr City — where Tomas was shot twice and gravely injured in the unarmored truck his platoon had been sent out in.
Tomas has been a tremendously heroic and outspoken anti-war voice over the years, as we were reminded once again today during this morning’s heart-wrenching episode of Democracy Now! devoted to his story. Phil Donahue, co-director of the 2007 documentary film about Tomas, Body of War, (in which our ’05 interview with Tomas is briefly seen) is on hand as well for the discussion. The hour included a live satellite interview with Tomas, who now struggles to speak. His thoughts seem very coherent, but what is left of his body and its functions are clearly breaking down. He is joined by his wife Claudia.
It is all worth watching, if you can spare the time. The clips from Body of War, especially the one in which Tomas speaks with the late Sen. Robert Byrd (D-VA) as they read off the names together of the “Immortal 23” who voted against the Iraq War in the U.S. Senate, are particularly moving.
This is the story of the Iraq War ten years later — and how it broke this nation just as surely as it broke Tomas Young’s body and eventually his spirit and will to live…
After the lengthy segment above, Donahue is asked about his plight at MSNBC where he was fired just before the war began, as we would later find out from an internal executive memo, because his show included too many anti-war voices.
He says the episode reveals “how corporate media shapes our opinions and our coverage.”
“They were terrified of the anti-war voice. And that is not an overstatement,” Donahue says. “If you’re General Electric, you certainly don’t want an anti-war voice on a cable channel that you own. Donald Rumsfeld’s your biggest customer!”
He explains again how he was required to have two pro-war voices for every anti-war voice he had on his show. “I could have [Bush Admin Iraq war hawk and architect] Richard Perle on alone, but I couldn’t have Dennis Kucinich,” he explains. “I was considered ‘two liberals’.” That segment can be watched here.
Finally, in the last moments of the show, Tomas reads his “Last Letter” to Bush and Cheney aloud and answers Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman’s question as to whether there is anything that might lead him to change his mind about his decision to soon stop using his feeding tube in order to allow his life to end.
That video segment, including Tomas’ answer to Goodman’s question, follows below…
You may need to fix this:
” he was required to have two anti-war voices for every pro-war voice he had on his show. “
NSWFM –
Whoops! Dyslexic much? Thanks! Fixed!
RE: Donahue’s persecution for speaking truth to power. In case anyone forgets the virulent attacks on anyone not marching to the war drumbeat, check out this clip at HP of Chris Matthews doing his best Joe McCarthy witchhunt against Donahue. Shocking and repulsive — all the more so because Matthews is relatively sane and decent.
… Randy D said on 3/22/2013 @ 7:04 am PT…
What does “relatively sane and decent” mean? A little bit less criminally insane? Chris Matthews is an intellectually dishonest eunuch.
God this shit is sad. And to think how many cowards in this country let this soldier down. False flag terrorism, stolen elections, and PNAC plans really took this country on a turn for the worse. As important as anything amongst them is Election Integrity. The 2000 Coup d’Etat was as bad as anything we’ve seen. The 2004 Coup d’Etat was as bad. The September 11th, 2001 Coup d’Etat was as sad. And the Shock and Awe hasn’t worn off for most of the populace. Rest in Peace Tomas Young. May you now truly know peace. Sorry. God help us.
Fuck Cheney. Fuck Rumsfeld. Fuck Bush. Fuck PNAC. Fuck the Corporate Media. Fuck the idiocy in this country and the inept stilted school system. Fuck the CIA. Fuck the FBI. Fuck the NSA. Fuck the War Hawks and Chicken Hawks. Fuck the profiteers and Fuck whoever killed Pat Tillman. Fuck.
In the 1960’s there was a draft. It wasn’t a fair and honest draft and several notables did not have to serve. Many people, myself included, who were not “fortunate sons,” enlisted in branches of the military where it unlikely one would die in combat, rather than take our chances with the draft. Nixon and Kissinger were/are war criminals. Now it would seem another generation of high-level war criminals are getting a pass. It sucks.
For Saba:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBiAtwQZnHs
Kiss the sky for me.
You fuckers better quit trying to divide my country into winnable election bits, because WE ARE THE MELTING POT. Have a new day.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HK97_EKBqA8
An Tomas, thank you for helping me to speak my truth too.
Hey-blow-your-face-off and idiot boy, you have slaughtered beautiful children.
O’Bummer too! Now, what as a people are we going to do about that????????????????????????????? I’ll tell you what I can’t wait to see. All of them voted square and fairly out of office. If you are not willing to stand up for what is morally right and best for our god damn country, get the fuck out of the way, cause there is little to no time left to do the right thing.
We should be organizing the next vote NOW, for who is willing to stand on the right side of history. FUCK the media they are military-industrial profiteers.
People aren’t scared, they’re emotionally manipulated.
There is still hope for even you creepy bastards, cuz you know what makes God smile the widest? When one of you son of a bitches comes home.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOHXvK6AxW4
One last thing, before I say night night. I hear tell that there are levels above the Presidency that are run by the military, industrialists and bankers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?li...ture=endscreen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omf5wRYBxZA
Anyone who tries to enslave the Earth, her People, Animals, and Minerals
wWill pay with their souls.
You clowns bring yourselves further from home,
THE GREAT SPIRIT.
Oh yeah, and let’s not forget the plants monsanto, or GOD’s genetic dignity and plan.
An how bout those petrol based chemical companies that can make new mutagens that can slowly kills us while they profit with corrupted medical/insurance companies?
Oooops, that’s not can, but are killing us.
An how bout that slap shod law they pass when Tomas put his life on the line for us? Fucked up patriot act anyone…with its consequences that render all Americans info slaves?