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. ................

[Lee'sGhost]

"You may disagree with what she's done but she obviously cares about and loves her son. Anyone who thinks she took this trip for political reasons or any other reason is nuts."

Yeah, it's the same kind of love that you read about when a mother kills her children because she does want them to have to face the evils of the world.

[boxerblues]

You may disagree with what she's done but she obviously cares about and loves her son

As a mother of 2 soldiers I disagree. I love mine enough to the respect the choices they have made as adults in how to live their lives. If this mother raised her kids in her eyes see obviously did a poor job as 3 of her children bucked her teachings and joined the military. I have more respect for them than I do for her.

[kcvl]

He probably met some of "her friends". That would cause anyone to do something worthwhile.

[sakic]

You don't think that she loves her son? You don't think that he loves her?

[Dallas59]

I think the Iraqis would prefer US Soldiers over the "peacenicks" that were over there before the Liberation.

[Zack Nguyen]

'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."

Well, Ma'am, what you think isn't the issue and doesn't really matter. Your son is a grown man and made a man's decision to serve his country.

Amazingly enough, it seems that the leftist toddler mentality hasn't been passed on to the children.

[shezza]

"I don't know if he hasn't been responding to my e-mails because he can't, or because of something else," Galleymore said.

Gee, wonder why Hero Son, who said his mother's rantings and reports of GIs being brainwashed were flat-out wrong, isn't responding to her emails.

[trek]

"In her complete self-absorption, she has embarrassed her son and revealed her own ignorance. "

This is a hugely profound observation. The core tactic of those out to destroy our nation has been to turn our society away from a culture of individuals focused on improving the lot of the next generation into a culture focused on a shallow, quixotic and ultimately unattainable quest to indulge every impulse of the moment. Rampant homosexuality, drug abuse and abortion are symptoms of this disease.

The redefiniton of marriage away from an institution designed to reward those individuals who make the sacrifices necessary to create an environment conducive to the raising of children into a entitlement is yet another example of this problem. The attack on marriage is particularly insidious. The benefits of marriage have been trumpeted by society over the millenia in order to induce couples to make these sacrifices. And now these benefits are demanded as an entitlement by people with no intention of making the sacrifice. A self-absorbed entitlement mentality is also reflected in the insatiable demands of seniors for more medicare and social security benefits at a time of out of control government defecits.

If a majority of Americans don't lose their self absorption and rededicate themselves to improving the lot of the next generation our society is finished. You can see the level of sacrifice our enemies are willing to make in order to kill us. We are going to have to respond in kind if we are going to survive.

[sakic]

Yeah, it's the same kind of love that you read about when a mother kills her children because she does want them to have to face the evils of the world.

Killing your children equals what she's done? Take a step back from the politics of his mother and yourself and realize how ridiculous that is.

[kcvl]

I didn't say that, did I? I said you need to read her website if you really want to know what she thinks of her son, compared to what she thinks of the Iraqis, who just happen to hate President Bush.

But, since you are trying to put words in my mouth, why would she accuse him of killing innocent people, if she loved him so much?

[prognostigaator]

Her website would not be able to exist in Iraq 2 years ago.

For that matter her website would not be permitted in So. Africa today( where she was raised by nannies) , either...

"Don't be ashamed of anything you would do in Iraq", she tells her son,-I thought that liberals were not ashamed of anything.

[sakic]

As a mother of 2 soldiers I disagree.

You truly believe that she doesn't love her son?

[proud American in Canada]

"They could never discuss it."

That's pretty sad.

This woman's political views are apparently more important to her than the pride that a normal mother would feel in this situation. Here's an article by her, which I found by going to a site called http://www.motherspeak.com :

http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0218-05.htm

Here's one particularly nauseating quote:

"I'm back home and now I know what is going on in Iraq: our leadership is destroying the spirits of GIs and Iraqi civilians in an unnecessary, money-grubbing free-for-all under the guise of necessary war and occupation. Iraqis, too, know what is going on; they describe the situation as, "Same donkey, different blanket.""

Wow, her son is putting his life on the line for the cause of freedom and all she can do is come back home to the comfort of her suburban California home and write articles that implicitly slander her son.

Well, Nick, I'm sure I can speak for all Freepers and most Americans when I say,

Thank you!

[kcvl]

She sure as hell isn't acting like it!

[Katya]

It always amazes me how those on the left promote tolerance and remaining open-minded, yet this mother fortunate enough to visit her son in Iraq practiced none of that. She had already painted her picture of the situation, and let emotion flavor her reactions.
Yes, she did embarass her son.

[Maigrey]

Let's see....

The son is 25, and decides that 3000 people dying by terrorists' hands is worth doing something about.

I'd say he knew what he was doing, and getting himself into.

[sakic]

My only contention here is with those that seem to feel that she doesn't love her son and that he doesn't love her. Parents and children always disagree with each other about things and still love each other.

If you want to hate her for her politics, fine, but claiming as some here have, that they don't love each other is insane.

[boxerblues]

I think she may love them in her own way, but not enough to accept the fact that they are adults who have made a decision to live their life that is not to her liking. It sounds like she is a bit of a control freak.

[Mamzelle]

Cut pic--looks like a youngish mom. Maybe someday she'll understand that he doesn't want to see free women forced into wearing burquas...

[SC Swamp Fox]

She requested the same anonymity for her daughter, who likewise doesn't share her mother's opinions on the war.

The acorns fell far from the tree. This is good news.

I do feel sorry for the guy. I can imagine some of the comments...
"Hey Nick, since your mom is a hippy-chick MILF, can we spend some time with her too?"