Dear Editor: Afghanistan and Our Wars

Dear Editor,

So, Afghanistan. The War on Terror. America’s “Longest” War. Right?

Not even close. Not even in the ballpark.

The U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs say non-native Americans, AKA U.S. Army, waged war on Native America from approximately 1817 – 1898. That’s 81 years. But that number, 81 years, is simply an “aberration.”

For those of us who are not living “the big lie” we know that Native Americans have been victims of violent wars since Columbus “invaded” their shores. That’s 529 years and counting!

How about the ongoing war on Black Americans/African Americans? What’s that 1619 through 2021? That’s 4022 years of totally inhumane “war.”

And then there’s America’s most deadly war. It started in 1791. Two hundred thirty years and it is still raging. Out. Of. Control. Shamefully so.

“America’s Gun War on America.” Never ending. Always “here”; it has become “normalized” by gun running gun traffickers. If I ever go totally insane and start to think like a gun running gun trafficker, I pray that God will send a lightning bolt and blow my heart away. Truly.

Afghanistan, 2001-2021. Twenty years of war.

The U.S. Secretary of Defense said on August 31, 2021 that 2,461 Americans died in Afghanistan during the twenty year war.

In “America’s Gun War on America” from January 1, 2021 through August 31, 2021 – just eight months – gun homicides ended the lives of 13,600 “Americans.” In Montana, from 2001 through August 31, 2021 approximately 4,200 Americans died from gun violence; nearly double compared to Afghanistan.

What do you think about that? Do they care? No?

Twenty years of “America’s Longest War” and eight months of “peace” inside of America.

As in all wars, civilians suffer the greatest terrorization and deaths. Approximately 117,000 Afghan civilians lost their lives in “America’s Longest War.” Inside “America’s Gun War on America” during the same twenty years, nearly 720,000 civilians have died from gun violence.

Where is the “war on terrorism” really taking place?

What really is “America’s longest war?”

I don’t get “you people” showing and raffling off deadly weapons. Erecting “keep your gun” signs. You know, promoting violence is not a good thing, right? I don’t think you do know. If you did, you wouldn’t continue to do what you do.

So America’s longest war vs Native Americans marches on. America’s second longest war vs African Americans, it marches on. America’s third longest and by far most deadly gun war vs America marches on also, and on, and on.

The Afghanistan war is over – we lost!

On the 5PM News: Hellgate School in Missoula “locked down” on the third day of school, September 2, 2021. Report of gun on campus. Gun on CAMPUS!

Protect Children, Not Guns.

Gerald Johnson

Cardwell, Montana