Route Irish
Tales from the Road at the Interchange of Will and Conscience in the World's Most Dangerous City
Justin C. Cliburn
|
|
| Far from the fighting, Americans are exposed to only one side of the Iraq War by media that everyday epitomizes the desires of the Bush administration. This administration, unduly influenced by a cabal of neoconservatives, dictates that no flag-draped caskets be shown to the public to ensure that the true toll of this war is hidden from sight. To date, George W. Bush has still not attended a single funeral or memorial service to the very men who unselfishly and bravely obeyed his whims to invade a sovereign nation that, to this day, has never proved to be any threat to the United States.
Oklahoma Army National Guard Specialist Justin Cliburn is one of those unselfish and brave patriots who risked his life in Iraq. During a one-year tour of duty, Cliburn began a blog to keep in touch with family and friends back home, but when he saw news conferences at the White House that did not reveal the reality of what was going on in Iraq, he became more and more conflicted with his and the United States’ role in the war; as a result, he began writing about his military experiences. After returning home to Oklahoma, Cliburn became angry when he saw that the stories the American media were airing about the war also bore no resemblance to what he had experienced first-hand while he was deployed.
After months of complaining to the media and anyone willing to listen, Cliburn decided to join the Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW). He started writing again and began attending IVAW events, where he met other veterans with the same beliefs and convictions as those that had kept him from being proud of his service in Iraq. Through his work with IVAW and an honesty about his service that is seldom expressed by veterans, Cliburn has been able to bring the war to life for those who have ever wanted to "be there." Although he vehemently opposes the war in Iraq, Cliburn credits his experiences there for a dramatically positive change in his life. This is his story.
The publication of Route Irish has been postponed indefinitely. Please check back for more information.
|
|