Today I witnessed a funeral for a fallen soldier from my hometown killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq.  It was the first time that someone from my hometown or area has been killed in Iraq.   I lived just a few miles down from him and his family.   Lt.  Chris Rutherford’s life was cut tragically short by the senseless violence in Iraq.  He was only 25 years old, a Marietta College graduate, a son, and a friend to many.   They had to have the funeral at his high school a few miles from my home because of the outpouring of support from all his family, friends and neighbors of the close-knit community of Newport and Marietta where he grew up.  It was incredible to watch as thousands of people came out of their houses and lined the 22 miles of road that passes by my house to lay him to rest, waving flags and messages of support.   His casket and the family were taken by military escort to the burial site; a sheriff helicopter led the way, with police, fire, and thousands of Harley riders who followed them.   I watched as the family was escorted by the police, I will never forget the look on his mothers face as she looked at me and my family as we stood by the side of the road in support.  It was heartbreaking to see the sadness, and at the same time the honor and gratitude they showed.  

It was the most incredible thing I have ever seen.   It was completely overwhelming, and I hope the family knows how much we honor his sacrifice and theirs.   The community is there with support and comfort for all those who are feeling the loss of Chris Rutherford.  He attended our family’s church, and my mother and grandmother knew the family well.  He was an amazing young man, a Journalism major who could have done anything he wanted, but he wanted to serve his nation, and he did so with honor and distinction. 

Today the war came home, and I realized just the depth and breadth of our mistakes in Iraq.  Too many bright, young men and women are being killed senselessly.  We don’t have an exit strategy, we are caught in the middle of a civil war, and we are losing men and women everyday.  When will this senseless war be brought to an end?  Our soldiers have done everything we have asked of them, they are signing up for repeated tours, and they are the bravest young men and women on the planet.  Unfortunately the civilian leadership has not served with the same bravery and distinction.  They instead have followed a stubborn policy which does not solve any of the underlying causes of the civil unrest in Iraq and the greater Middle East.  They have not made the sacrifices they need to make in order to leave Iraq in a better place, they have failed to plan for any of the catastrophes which have befallen us.  

The question Americans must ask themselves is have we had enough yet?  I think the answer is an overwhelming yes, and it’s time to do something about it.  We need to start holding all of our elected officials in Washington accountable for this war, Democrat and Republican.   This is not the war of one political party, this is America’s war, and it is time that Americans started demanding that our President and our Congress start to bring our troops home.    It is our duty as Americans to let our voices be heard, and heard loud and clear on Election Day.  Whether your Representative is a Democrat or a Republican it is time to let them know that they have a Constitutional responsibility to take care of matters both domestic and foreign.  It is their duty to listen to their constituents; the American people, that say that now is the time to bring our brave troops home.  Not next year, not in September when David Petraeus sends a report to Congress, Now.  We cannot wait another day while our men and women are dying because of the failed policies of the Bush Administration.   We need to be as careful leaving Iraq as we were careless getting in, but we need to bring this war to an end, and to once again focus on the war on terror overseas and the growing threats here at home.