Hopeless war leaves generation in need

We are the baby boomers and the elderly. Most of us believed our children, the capable and strong children of our country, would take care of us. But I know better now.

I no longer ask who will take care of me because I clearly see what I and all capable others will be doing through years to come. We will be caring for the over 40,000 traumatized Iraq war veterans who suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and multiple bodily injuries. These young victims of war will need constant help to, at the very least, reach a level of minimum function in everyday life.

Recently, President George W. Bush tried to justify the Iraq war by suggesting in an interview with ABC's Martha Raddatz that Iraq had been al-Qaida's home base. When Raddatz corrected the President by reminding him that al-Qaida did not set up base in Iraq until after the U.S. invaded, the President replied, "Yeah, that's right. So what?"

Young people have lost their lives or have had their lives dramatically and irreversibly altered. They deserve more than a "so what" from the Commander- in-Chief of the United States military, and so do we.

We sent our children into a war of hopeless consequence and those we continue to sacrifice for false pride, and on false premises, have come back to us ravaged and in need of long-term care. These treasured and ravaged youth are in need of multiple false limbs to replace mangled, blown off or burned hands, arms, faces, and legs. They are in need of intensive psychiatric counseling, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and brain therapy to relearn basic skills of daily living. We are the ones who will care for them. No one will be left to care for us.

Mary E. Keenan

Schaumburg