May 3, 2007

StreetTalk

by Carol Rosen

What did you think of the testimony given before a congressional committee last week by Mary and Kevin Tillman and Jessica Lynch regarding false information presented by the military? (Asked at the Almaden Center)

“I only caught excerpts, but I do think it’s part of a bigger issue about conducting the war and what the government has done in turning everything into propaganda. We elected Bush, whether we voted for him or not, if we don’t support the Congress and defend the troops we are responsible.”

Mike Williams, 46
Willow Glen
CFO


“I felt badly for the Tillmans and for Jessica Lynch. They have all been lied to. Things have been mishandled and they should keep testifying until all the truth is known. We shouldn’t pretty up war; it’s not pretty, it’s ugly and unpleasant and we should know what we are doing before we engage in it.”

Betsy Plette, 57
Almaden
Homemaker


“I think their testimony was appropriate. This whole issue is bringing the issues out to the forefront. The American public needs to understand what is being done. If the military is lying to families as to the time and method of their loved one’s death, that is serious and it needs to be corrected. I think the Tillmans are doing the right thing. The squeaky wheel gets the oil. They live in our community. We should all recognize what happened and the need to straighten it out.”

Ed Howell, 66
Almaden
Retired


“If my child died during the war, I’d like an honest answer. It’s the least I would expect. I was at the Pat Tillman run because I thought what he did was honorable.”

Kevin Mohamadian, 22
Almaden
Student at Silicon Drafting Institute


“I think it was the right thing to do and a brave step on their part to insist on greater honesty from the U.S. military and from the government. It was long overdue, but it sent the right message; the American people are strong enough and intelligent enough to handle the unpleasant truths."

Paul Landshof, 36
Almaden
Piedmont Hills High teacher of English and AP U.S. history


“I think it is alarming that the government is covering up this obviously terrible thing. It seems they are consistently trying to make the war better than it seems. The government is betraying our trust in them and that makes the American people very uncomfortable with their government. Coverups are not something we should tolerate.”

Robert Spiteri, 48
Almaden
Retired


"I heard most of Kevin’s testimony. I think the coverup is very heart wrenching because I have a son over there. I’m upset with how the army handled it, because it took so long for the families to find out the truth. I expect there to be a better system to be in place for situations such as this; that people will understand war better and the government should just tell the truth. The truth should be a given.”

Marla Sanders, 38
Almaden
Special education teacher at Oster


"I think it was a good thing the Tillmans and Jessica Lynch did that. It was nice to have the truth brought to the American people. The military shouldn’t be withholding the truth. I think it was helpful to have the hearing on TV."

Larry Cosden, 64
Los Gatos
Sales