by Robert Gillis
Published in the Foxboro Reporter, 8/2005 and the Boston City Paper 7/2008

My support for our soldiers is unwavering. I have never served in uniform but I have many friends who do, and I respect and admire these true heroes. They go where they are told, follow orders, fight the battles and keep the country safe, and they are the reason we are free.

Our own Foxboro common bears silent witness to the hundreds who have served from our town alone – some who made the ultimate sacrifice. We can never thank them enough.

Recently I met a Foxboro resident who’d served in Operation Desert Storm (thank you) and he mentioned to me that he felt this new war was another Viet Nam. That same day I happened to talk to a local woman who runs a business in town – I found out she was in the Air Force for over a decade (thank you). Sue and I attended a concert in Boston recently and at one point the announcer asked the Veterans to stand up – about a quarter of the crowd did so and we applauded wildly. We love our soldiers. I love our soldiers. I’m not brave enough to do what they do, but I will support them always.

We pray daily for the soldiers who are in harm’s way, fighting for our freedom. We honor all those, living and dead, who have served over the last 250 years. Heroes, all.

But as I talk to more and more of these great citizens, the conversation always comes back to this one question: Why are we STILL in Iraq?

A few weeks before the war in Iraq began, I wrote in this space that I advocated the need for war to take Saddam Hussein down. His crimes against humanity had been well documented. He had ignored 16 United Nations Security Council Resolutions and over 30 other UN warnings. He had killed millions. He had WMDs. He was a tyrant.

It was time for action.

Today, Saddam Hussein is in American custody somewhere in Iraq and will face many charges. We ponder the paradox that this frail old man with the affection for Cheetos is Hitler and Satan incarnate, a demon who tortured and killed millions.

The clear and present danger to the United States – the madman – is in custody.

Even though no WMDs were found, the world believed Hussein had them. As early as 1991, one of the 16 resolutions demanded that, “Iraq must "unconditionally accept" the destruction, removal or rendering harmless "under international supervision" of all "chemical and biological weapons and all stocks of agents and all related subsystems and components and all research, development, support and manufacturing facilities." Other resolutions also mentioned WMDs.

These warnings and resolutions went on for ten years and cited the utter defiance of Hussein and Iraq to comply with the UN and the acknowledgment that Iraq was stockpiling WMDs.

I honestly believe our president had the best available Intel on Iraq WMDs. Yes, we know now that Intel was flawed. But I don’t think the president lied to us, I believe he acted in good faith about the WMDs and the threat posed by Saddam Hussein. And Iraq certainly had plenty of warning and time to get rid of / hide / remove their WMDs.

But once the WMDs were not found, once Hussein was captured, on May 1, 2003, President Bush made a speech from the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln, and saluted the troops on the flight deck while above him a massive banner proclaimed "Mission Accomplished."

The clear and present danger apparently neutralized, the mission accomplished, you would think that a small contingent of US soldiers, advisors and task forces would stay in Iraqi to help the citizens, while the remainder of the troops returned home, right?

You’d think wrong. The accomplished mission was replaced by “Operation Iraqi Freedom” and the new goal was to try to bring democracy to a nation that had never once embraced it in its 8,000 year history.

Over 1000 U.S. soldiers have died since then. More than 7,000 more have been maimed and crippled, and an estimated 15,000 Iraqi civilians have been killed. Insurgencies are rampant throughout Iraq. Newly elected Iraqi officials and Iraqi constitution authors are being murdered, along with our soldiers.

As the number of American dead soldiers is over 1700 and rising at this writing, I have to wonder what the hell our brave soldiers are still doing there in what many (including active service people) are now calling a desert Viet Nam.

Democracy is a marvelous thing but it is really the goal of the US to start toppling dictators and installing Democracy? If yes, then why aren’t we in North Korea, then, ousting dictator Kim Jong and creating democracy? How about Cuba? Isn’t it time to give Castro the heave-ho once and for all, invade, and bring democracy to the Cuban people?

My concern with the war I initially supported is that somewhere along the line the clear and present danger to the United States was replaced with “Let’s give the Iraqis democracy.” The cost? American lives. Thousands of them. Kids, 18-25. Shipped home in flagged draped caskets the media is forbidden to photograph. Soldiers maimed and crippled.

Once Hussein was captured, once we gave up looking for WMDs, we should have left. Now we’re stuck in a quagmire of politics and vague mission statements, while every day someone in Iraq is being killed. The earliest departure estimate is 2011? It’s time to leave. Now.

I love our soldiers. I respect them. I shake hands and thank every one I meet. But as once of my soldier friends once said, “If I am going to die, I hope my death has a purpose.” Dying while protecting your nation against a mortal threat is noble. But this vague fantasy about establishing Democracy in a country that has demonstrated 8,000 years of not wanting it, well, that’s just a horrible waste of life. American life. Young life.

I’m not a pacifist or a liberal. War is very necessary sometimes. I support the war in Afghanistan to try to wipe out Al Qaeda and find Bin Laden. Rooting out terror cells across the globe will go on for years – maybe decades. These are defined missions. These wars and battles will save American lives. They are necessary for our continued protection and freedom.

But our modern-day Viet Nam? There are many countries on Earth that pose a far greater threat to the US, but we remain in Iraq, setting up democracy. Isn’t it time to give Iraq back to its people and bring our brave soldiers home? Isn’t it time to stop letting these brave kids die for no good reason?

Bring the soldiers back home and let them help preserve security in THIS country, protecting US from terrorists.

Police departments are already stretched so thin – wouldn’t it be helpful and reassuring to have our soldiers working with them, keeping the terrorist watch and keeping us safe at home? I’d feel much more secure if US soldiers were assisting with security at Logan and TF Greene. Let’s have US soldiers -- our best and brightest -- work with local and state agencies to coordinate defense and action against terrorist attacks.

We’re at Code orange, waiting for a follow-up to the London attacks. Our soldiers should be here, protecting us and our democracy. If the Iraqis really want democracy let them create it. We did.

If the Mission is indeed “Accomplished” then bring our brave men and women in uniform home. Now.

by Robert Gillis

What was so special about the silver age of comic books? Read about it HERE

Superman's Girlfriend Lois Lane #29: "The Irresistible Lois Lane"

OVERVIEW: After receiving a mysterious vase of flowers, and spotting Krypto (Superman's dog) writing an "L" in the sky with a flaming torch, Lois Lane decides to do a story on kissing super-heroes. After getting all dressed up, Lois seeks out Green Arrow, Aquaman, and Batman, and passionately kisses each of them. Later, Green Arrow, Aquaman and Batman meet and Batman takes their lipstick smeared handkerchiefs to save Superman, who is in danger from green Kryptonite near his fortress of solitude in the North Pole. It is then revealed that plan "L" was a code that Superman was in green Kryptonite danger at the fortress of solitude and needed the antidote Lois carried. But Lois had realized she was being watched when she spotted a "bug" on the vase of flowers, so she needed to use subterfuge to get the antidote to Superman. So Lois had put the antidote on her lipstick, and told each hero what was happening as she kissed them.

REVIEW: This is one of my favorite silver age yarns – it’s sexist, preposterous, and contains a ridiculous chain of events, plenty of exposition, and a plan that’s lust – excuse me – just -- silly! It is the epitome of a silver age Superman story – and that’s what makes it so much fun to review some 40 odd years later!

Plan L: Execute if Superman is in green Kryptonite danger near the Fortress of Solitude. That's a pretty specific situation right there -- what if he's in white Kryptonite danger in Cuba? Or green Kryptonite danger near the bat cave? Oh, wait, that's plans C and B and white Kryptonite only affects plants.

Anyway, in plan L, Superman uses super-ventriloquism (tell me again how Earth's yellow sun gives him this power?) to alert Krypto (y'know, the super powered DOG with the cape who's usually romping thru airless space) to burn the letter "L" in the sky (with a flaming torch no less), alerting Lois Lane (who just happens to be looking out the window at that time, thank Rao) to take out the red Kryptonite she stores in her purse that will (one time, one time only) immediately counteract the effects of the green Kryptonite.

But -- and this is the important part -- since Lois received flowers with a bug/camera in them and realized Superman's enemies must be watching her, (and she is apparently too stupid to just throw the flowers and camera in the trash) she decides she must use subterfuge. Since Superman is in green kryptonite danger and is by definition dying a slow, agonizing death by RADIATION POISONING, it’s time to rush! To bolt to the scene! There’s only moments to spare! So Lois…

…decides to get the red Kryptonite to Superman by attending various events, crime scenes and rescue efforts where the Justice League was appearing in order to kiss each of them with red-K antidote, transferring the antidote to them for delivery to Superman at some later time.

God forbid at this point Lois would just give the antidote to the first hero and say, “Quick, get this to Superman!” No, we get, “My vase of flowers is watching me!”

So Lois went home, and got all dressed up (which women always do quickly). I think she had her hair and nails done, too. You know, stuff women do in a jiffy.

Meanwhile, Superman lay dying of radiation poisoning. That's gotta hurt.

Lois opened the Red Kryptonite and put her lipstick in it so the dust would form on her lips. Then she headed to see Batman, Aquaman and Green Arrow, seduced each of them, and got them to kiss her as passionately as the 1960s comics censor would allow, transferring the antidote to their lips.

Meanwhile, Lana Lang wondered why Lois was suddenly so irresistible.

Meanwhile, Superman lay dying of radiation poisoning.

At the North Pole.

Where the wind chill is, oh, I don’t know, one hundred below zero on the balmy days.

Anyway, after all that, Green Arrow and Aquaman got together with Batman and gave him the handkerchiefs coated with lipstick and antidote Kryptonite.

Batman sped north in his bat-plane and saw that SPACE ALIENS were standing over Superman, who lay dying on the frozen ground from Radiation poisoning ALL THIS TIME. So Batman attached the handkerchief to his batarang and swooped it down to Superman.

Superman quickly grabs the handkerchief and said, “Gasp! That lipstick-stained handkerchief, I must smear my face with it!”

(Here’s where a REALLY funny scene could be added. Batman: “How’d you know the lipstick had the antidote?” Superman: “There’s an antidote?” Anyway…)

Fortunately, the antidote worked and Superman recovered immediately and kicked the SPACE ALIENS off Earth, and then he proceeded to hug and kiss Krypto (not Lois) for the rescue, noting that fortunately, the aliens didn't notice his fortress, despite the gigantic key and door carved into the mountain.

Waitaminute – Space aliens are behind the attack on Superman. Did one of them arrange to have the flowers delivered to Lois to keep an eye on her? And how did the space aliens pay for the flowers? Did the florist even accept intergalactic credit cards? And why just Lois? Superman has other friends. And why in the world would the aliens, who have Superman in a deathtrap at the North Pole, even bother making sure they kept surveillance on Lois Lane, who was probably a thousand miles away? And why didn’t Superman use the super-ventriloquism to contact Batman and tell HIM to go to Metropolis and get the antidote from Lois? After all, when the bat-plane swooped in to save Superman, it’s not like the space aliens put up much of a fight.

On another note, why didn’t Jimmy get flowers or a nice fruit basket with a bug in it? Now THAT would have made the story more interesting if JIMMY OLSEN had the antidote. The story would have sure been interesting if JIMMY went around kissing Batman!

(Batman: “Kiss me hard so the antidote will be transferred to my lips.” Jimmy Olsen: “What antidote?” Anyway…)

Wouldn't it be simpler for Superman to say, carry the antidote in his belt buckle, and how did he use super ventriloquism while dying from green K? Imagine if Superman had died this way instead of being killed by the monster Doomsday -- imagine his lipstick-smeared face as he was laid to rest, and imagine Lois explaining to the police, "No, no, I had to go out whoring around because the space aliens were watching me through my flowers so I had to kiss super-heroes to transfer the kryptonite antidote to them! The flying dog with the cape told me to do it! He carried a torch through the sky!" And the cops saying, “Sure, Miss Lane… Why don’t you come downtown with us…”