Cameron Halas

Who am I? I am a man who wants to make a difference in this world. I was once a War Hawk who bought into the Right Wing propaganda. Going into the war was a wake up call. Reality had finally caught up with me. The Iraqis were not mindless barbarians, Islam was not a hateful religion and there was no plot to destroy America. All they were trying to do was to free themselves from occupation. We were not helping the situation any by making our presence felt. We were not eliminating enemies, we were making enemies. The soldiers I served with were and still are good men, and with that being said, they deserve better. Killing only creates enemies, peace creates friends. The answer was clear: peace was the answer. Then I remembered the teachings of Jesus, "Blessed are the peacemakers," and "Love your enemies." I realized that many who claim to follow such teachings continue to make constant excuses not to abide by them. I realized excuses can no longer be made. I joined IVAW to quit making excuses, to put my money were my mouth is, do what the war taught me was right and to do what I want: make a difference in this world.