Why this father isn't sleeping well - and why you shouldn't either

The most difficult chapter in the life of the Ivie family began on Dec. 5, 2007, when Spc/4 Sean Ivie was deployed with the 2nd Stryker Combat Brigade, 25th Infantry to Taji, Iraq.

It wasn't too bad at first. Two days to get to Iraq and the 30 days of staging, equipping and orienting the brigade to the habits of the Middle East, the cultural inner conflicts between the factions of Islam and getting educated on the tactics of the enemy.

Now, after five months, the most recent phone call home, Sunday, April 27, was the last piece of the puzzle that has prompted this column.

Every day since Sean deployed my routine is the same. I get up at 5-5:30 a.m. to watch the news. I surf every national news channel to find out all that I can about what is going on. In December and January the war was covered fairly well.

However, since the presidential primaries have come to the forefront and King George and Gen. Petraeus are telling everyone that the "surge" worked and the length of tours would be cut back to 12 months for all those in Iraq, the television news media, and evidently you, as well, America, don't seem quite as concerned about the situation in Iraq as you once were. I mean, after all, rising gas prices, the failing stock market, Hil-Rod vs. Obama, American Idol, Survivor and Dancing With the Stars are all far more important and pleasant "water cooler" topics at the workplace, aren't they?

I now have to spend 1-2 hours digging, and I mean digging, into the various independent news sites to get any viable information about the war.

Guess what, America? It's getting worse again. The weather is warming up to an average 108 degrees daily and with the warmer temps came increased hostile insurgent activity, and it's not all in Baghdad, as the television news media leads us to believe.

Yes, America - I do understand that the 150,000 service personnel in Iraq will be coming home eventually. The question is: How many will come home in a caisson or without arms, legs, sight or hearing?

All of them, like Sean, already have the various "syndromes" associated with serving in 100-plus degree heat. Sleeping in 2-4 hour stretches when they can. Routinely going on 30-day missions, returning for 5 days and going back out again. Being shot at and unable to return fire because the rounds came from a market or business full of civilians with no clue as to who fired.

Oh, and then there are the women and children that seem so friendly, just like the ones that blew up six American soldiers on April 30.

My wife doesn't know about that one yet. You see, I do all this research because my wife tries to avoid the news. I have to be prepared so that I can be there for her.

Just the fact that her son is there is taxing her sanity, just as it does the mothers of 150,000 others currently there. Just the way it has devastated the mothers and families of 4,064 of America's children who have died in the name of King George's war that was based on a lie.

Of course, I should mention the over 330,000 Iraqi dead, 500,000-plus wounded and 2 million exiled to Iran. It seems another mass gravesite gets discovered every week or so that adds to those numbers as well.

I would also not want to overlook the fact that at least two of our military services are also now taking felons for enlistment to keep our shores safe while we continue on with operation Iraqi Freedom.

Comforting, isn't it?

Are you sleeping well at night, America?

Sean isn't. His 70 pounds of uniform and body armor can't be taken off while he sleeps. He cuddles his machine gun, instead of his wife, while he sleeps. Not that it is a restful sleep. It's the kind of sleep where one eye is open and both ears are tuned to every little noise. You know, a peaceful and restful sleep ...

Sean is there for you though, America. So are all his 150,000 comrades.

There for you because you haven't had the good sense to cast a proper ballot in the past two presidential elections, the gumption to demand that the White House be cleaned out and obviously not the "GUTS" to enlist and serve yourself.

Hopefully, you have enough intelligence to get the points I've made and they are sinking in for you about now.

Here is the most important point, however:

America, 51 million-plus of you have been outright stupid in the past two presidential elections.

No, no! Don't accuse me of being a Democrat, I've been fiercely non-partisan since 1980.

The old-style politicians in Washington, D.C., are wrecking our country, economy, way of life and allowing our children to be murdered in a war that should have never been.

We need a new approach. We need a new leader who understands what America is supposed to be for Americans and how that fits into the entire world's affairs.

It is America's obligation to help its people first and then contribute to international well-being second.

Barack Obama is the only presidential candidate that seems to realize this.

I just hope and wish that America will pull its head out of the deep, dark abyss it's in, realize this, and rally around a leader that desires peace for a change.

Once again, America ... are YOU sleeping well tonight?

There are 150,000 of your children who aren't.

Now, just what the hell are you going to do about it?

• Veteran Michael Ivie of Gardnerville is an employee of the Douglas County School District. His son, Sean, received his GED through Douglas High School.