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� <br /> 1 war. She said that there should also be an exit strategy for the Afghanistan war. She wants to <br /> 2 put an emphasis on the human cost of the war. She noted that her nephew had served three <br /> 3 tours of duty in Iraq as a Marine helicopter pilot flying casualty evacuation missions. <br /> 4 <br /> 5 <br /> 6 PUBLIC COMMENT: <br /> 7 Tim Suko said that when he got out of college he joined an organization whose <br /> 8 purpose was to support people such as the author of this resolution. He said that he served in <br /> 9 the armed forces for 26 years and he missed many family events over the years. He <br /> 10 appreciated Commissioner Gordon's comments because it is a family-oriented issue. He said <br /> 11 that the families suffer the most. He said that the people that serve in the armed forces do <br /> 12 serve voluntarily and he does not think that they would take issue with the author's taking a <br /> 13 stand on the issue. He disagrees with the statement that there would be no identified public <br /> 14 benefits by the service of the men and women in Afghanistan for the last nine years. He said <br /> 15 that if this statement were left in the resolution it would be a slap in the face to anyone that has <br /> 16 ever worn a military uniform. He said that the President has stated that a positive conclusion <br /> 17 of the war in Afghanistan is within the vital interests of the United States. He said that the <br /> 18 President feels that what the United States is doing over there is necessary and is of vital <br /> 19 interest to the country. He suggested that the author write a letter to the President rather than <br /> 20 a resolution. He recommended that the County Commissioners reject this resolution. <br /> 21 Mark Marcoplos thanked the County Commissioners for recognizing the human costs <br /> 22 of war. He said that the American public has come to understand that there are no public <br /> 23 benefits to war. He said that a recent CNN poll found that this war reminds people of Vietnam <br /> 24 and the United States needs to get out. He read an email that he sent to the Board of County <br /> 25 Commissioners earlier today. <br /> 26 "The number one issue that arises for local governments in a request that <br /> 27 communicates something related to foreign policy to the federal or state government is <br /> 28 whether or not it is appropriate. So, I hope that when you vote tonight, you stand up in support <br /> 29 of the use of Orange County taxpayer money for the Afghan war and express your belief that <br /> 30 there isn't an expenditure that is more valuable to us than local educational funding, social <br /> 31 services, environmental protection, business propagation; or that you stand tall with the <br /> 32 majority of County citizens who oppose the war, who understand the staggering waste of <br /> 33 resources and human life, who understand that our County and our society are suffering <br /> 34 problems that could be solved if our taxpayer money were spent to provide health, education, <br /> 35 and economic opportunity at home. In 2009, the Illinois state legislature voted to call for end of <br /> 36 the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Carrboro recently passed a similar resolution. Several of you <br /> 37 voted for a resolution opposing the Iraq war a few years ago. Municipalities all across the <br /> 38 country have passed similar resolutions. These resolutions cause no harm to governments. <br /> 39 Please vote honorably, either for or against the resolution. <br /> 40 We live in extraordinary times. We are experiencing a society decline, a society in <br /> 41 which democracy has been corrupted to the point that only our elected officials bind us to real <br /> 42 democracy. The military industrial complex that Eisenhower warned us about has successfully <br /> 43 hi-jacked our government as enjoying unprecedented levels of war profiteering with our <br /> 44 money. If you send a message to Washington, your priority is beneath your constituents, and <br /> 45 you understand the futility of spending funds on this tragic war. That would be a powerful <br /> 46 message and an inspiration for those who value true leadership." <br /> 47 <br /> 48 Charlie Cleary from Orange County spoke. He said that he and some ex-veterans <br /> 49 reviewed this resolution and they chose not to support it. He said that all of them are ex- <br />