Anti-war woman's trip to see son serving in Iraq has surprises for both

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | April 3, 2004 | Joe Garofoli, Chronicle Staff Writer

[Cincinatus' Wife]

'Hey, Nick. Your mom's here.' Anti-war Alameda woman's trip to see son serving in Iraq has surprises for both

........Galleymore was more political as a young mother, taking her young children on protest marches during the Iran-Contra controversy of the mid- 1980s. Her children hung out with the progressive thinkers she met while working for a food policy organization. But Galleymore's activism faded as her children entered adolescence, her time eaten up by the demands of single motherhood.

And somewhere along the line, her children didn't absorb her political perspective.

After Nick finished his third year at San Francisco State University and had been accepted for transfer to UC Berkeley, he announced that he had joined the Army.

"It was a total surprise," Galleymore said. "It wasn't like he needed money for college. He was already three years in, so that doesn't hold water."

She dismissed Nick's volunteering as a phase; it wasn't. Her son not only wanted to be in the Army, he wanted to be in an elite unit. He passed up completing his college degree and left for boot camp on Independence Day weekend, 1999.

Galleymore still doesn't know exactly why. They could never fully discuss it.

In January 2003, Nick was shipped to Afghanistan. He had become an Army Ranger, a jump master for paratroopers and a sniper. He was in the thick of the action. Last Dec. 19, his 26th birthday, Nick called to say he was headed to Iraq. At that point, with U.S. soldiers and Iraqi civilians being killed almost daily, Galleymore began to panic. She couldn't sleep at night, "because I was thinking, 'My kid is going to get killed for something I don't believe in, and I don't think he knows what he's getting into.' "

She began talking with other military mothers, hoping to get their perspectives on how to cope. But many knew little about what was going on in Iraq. Frustrating her effort to learn more about Nick was that she felt the news reporting from the front lines was giving an overly rosy picture of the U. S. occupation.

At wit's end, she decided that the only way to calm her fears was to go to Iraq. She got in touch with Code Pink, which has led about a dozen parents to Iraq over the past few months. After holding a fund-raiser, which netted half of the trip's $2,200 cost, she left for Iraq on Jan. 24. ................

[the OlLine Rebel]

Definitely the childish views of a childish mindset.

[Sicon]

She couldn't sleep at night, "because I was thinking, 'My kid is going to get killed for something I don't believe in, and I don't think he knows what he's getting into.' "

Yep. She's a liberal, alright. She arrogantly assumes that her college-educated, 26-year old son doesn't know what he's doing. Like all liberals, only SHE knows what's going on.

[the OlLine Rebel]

This is typical liberal: believe everything the enemy says, and nothing that the US says. Yeah, they're real balanced and objective.

[the OlLine Rebel]

True, I don't really doubt her motives, altho she obviously figured she'd make an effort to publicize the "other side" while she's at it. She has some redeeming qualities.

[the OlLine Rebel]

"One good thing, this article shows that the socialists are losing. Here's a young man raised as red diaper doper baby who is 180 from what his commie mommy hoped for."

This is the only thing I hope for: that all the Baby-Boomer Spock-raised selfish brats who think they were so great for "rebelling" will get theirs, even if they don't intend it, and the kids will "rebel" and be conservative just to spite THEM - just like they screwed their parents.

[the OlLine Rebel]

It also ignores history. Just how often do you think past armies' veterans went around being "anti-social" after their truly horrific and long-winded war experiences? At least from this country's if not most western-based experiences?

[lonerepubinma]

What a piece of crap this so called mother is. All she did was use her son as a PROP to support her liberal ideas.
Some day this man will realize just what she did to him.

[the OlLine Rebel]

This reminds me of the voluntary western-hippie human shields last year? Remember how they were so ready to be shot down (literally)?

[justshutupandtakeit]

This was obviously done for political reasons. No mother in their right mind or not a left wing nutcase would think of pulling a stunt like this.

[Lee'sGhost]

Yes!

[sakic]

Love is accepting the other person regardless of their "flaws".

Where in the article does it say she doesn't accept? It says she disagrees with his decision.

If her son wasn't in Iraq do you think she would have gone there? Did you see his smile in the photo with her?

[CSM]

OK. To you, the statements she has made about doing something he would regret, the publication of the "interview" with an Iraqi family, the other publications demeaning our efforts in Iraq are an indication that she accepts her son and his decisions.

She doesn't even uderstand love, let alone a ton of other emotions. The only emotion that drives her is hate. Her entire trip has been publicized and hate has fueled it. If you can't see that then I can't explain it to you.

Not every mother loves their children unconditionally. They may claim to, but their actions are indicative that they don't. This mother fits that scenario!

[zip]

In one essay, Galleymore asked for others to appreciate that the soldiers are in a dilemma, "caught in a military culture that encourages the numbing of most emotions but anger. Whip up enough anger in young men emotionally isolated, denied friends, family, lovers, even civilians clothes, physically exhaust them, nourish them inadequately, expose them to extreme temperatures and violent behavior, confine them to base and portray everyone else as murderous and you create impossible stress."

Nick told his mother that wasn't his experience. She doesn't know how they'll get along when he returns.

This says it all. She is nothing but an ANSWER worshipping, anti American, Bush hating idiot and is embarassing her "real American" son. She is parroting the pro Saddam, pro terrorist line just like the leftists in Columbia MO that we counter protest every Saturday. I honestly don't understand how people can hate our country so much.

[techcor]

But Galleymore's activism faded as her children entered adolescence, her time eaten up by the demands of single motherhood.

What she means to say is that Bill Clinton became president and it became "un-hip" to protest anything he did. I have yet to find a liberal you even has the vaguest guess about how many civilians died in Kosovo. They don't really care unless a Republican was in charge.

[sakic]

When the son comes back, he'll have far greater love for his mother than for those of you bashing her here.

[zip]

Sakic says "Anyone who thinks she took this trip for political reasons ...is nuts."

Same old sakic. Anyone who thinks she didn't embarrass her son and maybe jeopardize his military mission for selfish political purposes is nuts. The woman's an anti-American Marxist and her trip is right out of the Saul Alinsky Playbook. It's disgusting that anyone could approve of her hideous self-centered behavior. She's a Medea-mom who'd kill her own child to get back at her husband or a government she only pretends to believe in. It's all about her, remember?

You forgot the main part - she's writing a book and needs the publicity even if it kills her son. Weird mother!

[Cincinatus' Wife]

I honestly don't understand how people can hate our country so much.

*** If others could understand your truth, you would not think of yourself as a "vanguard." You would no longer inhabit the morally charmed world of an elite, whose members alone can see the light and whose mission is to lead the unenlightened towards it. If everybody could see the promised horizon and knew the path to reach it, the future would already have happened and there would be no need for the vanguard of the saints. *** Source

[Spruce]

The son's proper response to his mother at the gate should have been a note stating "Go home. You are making a fool of yourself. Grant my wish and go home."

[CSM]

Doubtful that they will have a good loving relationship. She is involved in a world that bashes her own son. If you can't see the problems, it isn't my job to remove your blinders.

[zip]

That was a great link. thanks