 "Photo: Jenna Oelschlegel")
Liam Madden spoke last night at the Earthfoods Café in the Student Union about his experiences in Iraq and his involvement in the anti-war movement. Earthfoods Café was packed, as there were people of all ages in attendance, including many veterans of the Iraq war.
Madden, 23, served as a communications electronics specialist in the Marine Corps from Jan. 2003 to Jan. 2007, touring in Iraq, Kuwait, Thailand, Okinawa, Japan and Korea.
He is a student at Northeastern University and is on the board of directors for the Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW). IVAW members are from 48 states, Washington, D.C., Canada and on numerous bases overseas, including Iraq. IVAW members say they educate the public about the realities of the Iraq War by speaking to communities and to the media about their experiences.
Madden said that his decision to speak out is not fueled by politics.
"Politics has a lot to do with it, but anytime someone makes a decision to put some of their time and energy into changing the world, it is for personal reasons," he said.
During Madden's time in Iraq, he said, he empathized with the Iraqis.
"Put yourself in the shoes of the people in Iraq who sit at home waiting for 'mommy' to come, and she doesn't end up coming home and the reason for that is because she got shot," he said. "This is called empathy, and I think that if we had a little bit more of that we would be better off."
He talked about disturbing experiences he had, including a military briefing in which Madden and fellow soldiers were asked what to do if they were driving and a child appears in the middle of the road. Madden said he was informed to "run that motherf***** over."
Madden was later questioned by a former Iraqi translator who brought attention back to the previous statement. She was puzzled by the fact that the Marines were instructed to run children over, asking Madden if such actions were in the field manual.
The Iraqi translator, who chose not to give her name, said a reason for such chaos in Iraq is due to the American soldiers' lack of knowledge in regards to the culture of Iraq.
"We had a bare minimum of cultural understanding, and the language barrier that we experienced there was a huge problem," he said.
"Because of this, Marines feel threatened all the time. We have a heightened sense of danger and when it comes down to it is either an 18-year-old kid with a gun or them. And the rule of the road is that it is them," he said, referring to taking Iraqi lives.
Madden and other war veterans that chimed in addressed the fact that the media is sensationalizing the war.
"The media's prerogative is to show their story and make money," he said.
Madden added that he wants to make clear that it is more effective to hear the veterans' side of the story.
Ian J. LaVallee, an Iraq war veteran, described his war experiences.
"Think about the realities. Yes, we would guard the elections and sit on rooftops preventing insurgents from planting IEDs [improved explosive devices], which felt good and justified, but then the next day we would rip apart civilians houses, detaining them, breaking apart families," he said. "Which action is going to outweigh the other?"
Madden told the audience there was no civil rights vote; there was a civil right movement. The movements are what have changed past problems, and they are a result of the demand of the people.
Madden concluded his talk by quoting abolitionist Frederick Douglass, saying, "Power concedes nothing without demand; it never did and it never will."
The IVAW hopes it will see immediate withdrawal of all occupying forces in Iraq, reparations for the destruction and corporate pillaging of Iraq so the Iraqi people can control their own lives and future and full benefits and adequate health care, including mental health and other supports for returning servicemen and women.
Joshua Walovitch can be reached at jwalovit@student.umass.edu.
