thedrifter
11-04-07, 08:05 AM
A New Hampshire Marine's ONE Campaign
November 04, 2007 6:00 AM
Editor's note: The writer is a resident of Dover.
By Michael Castaldo
Semper Fidelis. Always Faithful. This is the motto of the Marines. But this is more than a motto, this is more than two words; this is the way of life for a Marine. Marines serve our country on far-off soil in dangerous places in the good name of America. But when we return home, our duty to America does not stop.
I served our great nation from 1984-1990 in the United States Marine Corps, but like every American Marine, duty did not end for me after my honorable discharge. I have now chosen to serve my country by carrying the message of the ONE Campaign — a new effort to rally Americans around the ideas of fighting AIDS and extreme poverty in Africa and other places around the world. The ONE Campaign does not ask Americans for their money, but rather their voice as it encourages Americans to let our elected leaders know that fighting global disease and extreme poverty is not only possible, it is a priority.
More than a billion people in the world live in extreme poverty. They die each and every day by the masses from preventable and treatable diseases like malaria or TB (tuberculosis). Extreme poverty prevents parents from caring for their families, robs children of a future, and strips people of their own human dignity and respect.
But today, our great country is taking amazing steps to fight global killers like AIDS and hunger. President Bush has displayed historic and heroic leadership in his emergency plan to fight global AIDS and malaria, and recently the Democratic Congress has added record levels of funding for these programs.
Both Republicans and Democrats are coming together on behalf of all Americans to save lives around the world. This is not a single party issue; this is an issue of American leadership in the face of a global emergency.
In the last month, I saw the pain on Sen. John McCain's face as he spoke of our global fight on terrorism. In particular, the female suicide bomber who took 16 lives in Baghdad outside an Iraqi police station on April 10. Sen. McCain said he knew of no way to stop these lost souls from committing murder and suicide. He also said he was able to recognize that it was never the leaders of the movements who strapped on the backpacks laden with deadly explosive, but the poorest — the desperate — truly those who have nothing left to lose.
It is wrongheaded to think that all people who live in extreme poverty will become terrorists, but it is even more misguided not to react to how terrorist ideology thrives on extreme poverty and misery in places like Pakistan, Somalia, Indonesia, India and the Sudan.
We have the ability and the resources to truly end extreme poverty and the hopelessness and violence it breeds. At the 2005 G8 Summit, we as a nation committed to do more through effective and responsible aid, and we must.
Upon their return to the U.S. and on the heels of their hard-fought victory in World War II, the greatest generation called for the Marshall Plan that helped save Europe from disease and extreme poverty. Our generation, too, must now look at the developing world and do our part to fulfill America's pledge to help save lives and create an atmosphere with more friends and fewer enemies. If we are successful in our efforts — and we can be — it is possible we would wrest the greatest generation moniker from our grandparents; and I think if we are successful in ending extreme poverty and AIDS in our generation, our grandparents would smile upon the passing of the title. Our grandparents' sacrifice and service made this country capable of this type of greatness.
This is why as a member of the ONE Campaign I have made sure that when the presidential candidates come to New Hampshire, they are going to see and hear from me, and the ONE Campaign.
I have personally met with Mayor Giuliani, Gov. Romney, Sen. McCain and Gov. Huckabee to let them know about the ONE Campaign. As a lifelong Republican, I crossed party lines to meet with Sen. Edwards, Sen. Clinton, Gov. Richardson and Sen. Obama to make sure they know that fighting AIDS and poverty in Africa is an important issue here in New Hampshire and that 1 billion of the world's poorest people will not be forgotten in the Granite State during the primary.
This is the message I believe in as an American, as a father and as a former Marine. By lending my voice to the poorest people in the world, I am carrying on in the great tradition of serving my country. I believe we are the greatest country in the world and what we do in the fight against global AIDS and extreme poverty demonstrates what makes us great to the world.
I am one Marine on this front line, but we will need more people here in New Hampshire to join the movement of more than 2.4 million Americans in the ONE Campaign that will make sure that the next president of the United States recognizes the importance of U.S. leadership in what is the greatest calling of our generation.
We are Americans; we can beat global AIDS and make extreme poverty history. I am proud to be an American, I am proud to be ONE. Semper Fidelis. Always Faithful. Please join the ONE Campaign: the campaign to make poverty history at www.ONE.org.
Ellie
November 04, 2007 6:00 AM
Editor's note: The writer is a resident of Dover.
By Michael Castaldo
Semper Fidelis. Always Faithful. This is the motto of the Marines. But this is more than a motto, this is more than two words; this is the way of life for a Marine. Marines serve our country on far-off soil in dangerous places in the good name of America. But when we return home, our duty to America does not stop.
I served our great nation from 1984-1990 in the United States Marine Corps, but like every American Marine, duty did not end for me after my honorable discharge. I have now chosen to serve my country by carrying the message of the ONE Campaign — a new effort to rally Americans around the ideas of fighting AIDS and extreme poverty in Africa and other places around the world. The ONE Campaign does not ask Americans for their money, but rather their voice as it encourages Americans to let our elected leaders know that fighting global disease and extreme poverty is not only possible, it is a priority.
More than a billion people in the world live in extreme poverty. They die each and every day by the masses from preventable and treatable diseases like malaria or TB (tuberculosis). Extreme poverty prevents parents from caring for their families, robs children of a future, and strips people of their own human dignity and respect.
But today, our great country is taking amazing steps to fight global killers like AIDS and hunger. President Bush has displayed historic and heroic leadership in his emergency plan to fight global AIDS and malaria, and recently the Democratic Congress has added record levels of funding for these programs.
Both Republicans and Democrats are coming together on behalf of all Americans to save lives around the world. This is not a single party issue; this is an issue of American leadership in the face of a global emergency.
In the last month, I saw the pain on Sen. John McCain's face as he spoke of our global fight on terrorism. In particular, the female suicide bomber who took 16 lives in Baghdad outside an Iraqi police station on April 10. Sen. McCain said he knew of no way to stop these lost souls from committing murder and suicide. He also said he was able to recognize that it was never the leaders of the movements who strapped on the backpacks laden with deadly explosive, but the poorest — the desperate — truly those who have nothing left to lose.
It is wrongheaded to think that all people who live in extreme poverty will become terrorists, but it is even more misguided not to react to how terrorist ideology thrives on extreme poverty and misery in places like Pakistan, Somalia, Indonesia, India and the Sudan.
We have the ability and the resources to truly end extreme poverty and the hopelessness and violence it breeds. At the 2005 G8 Summit, we as a nation committed to do more through effective and responsible aid, and we must.
Upon their return to the U.S. and on the heels of their hard-fought victory in World War II, the greatest generation called for the Marshall Plan that helped save Europe from disease and extreme poverty. Our generation, too, must now look at the developing world and do our part to fulfill America's pledge to help save lives and create an atmosphere with more friends and fewer enemies. If we are successful in our efforts — and we can be — it is possible we would wrest the greatest generation moniker from our grandparents; and I think if we are successful in ending extreme poverty and AIDS in our generation, our grandparents would smile upon the passing of the title. Our grandparents' sacrifice and service made this country capable of this type of greatness.
This is why as a member of the ONE Campaign I have made sure that when the presidential candidates come to New Hampshire, they are going to see and hear from me, and the ONE Campaign.
I have personally met with Mayor Giuliani, Gov. Romney, Sen. McCain and Gov. Huckabee to let them know about the ONE Campaign. As a lifelong Republican, I crossed party lines to meet with Sen. Edwards, Sen. Clinton, Gov. Richardson and Sen. Obama to make sure they know that fighting AIDS and poverty in Africa is an important issue here in New Hampshire and that 1 billion of the world's poorest people will not be forgotten in the Granite State during the primary.
This is the message I believe in as an American, as a father and as a former Marine. By lending my voice to the poorest people in the world, I am carrying on in the great tradition of serving my country. I believe we are the greatest country in the world and what we do in the fight against global AIDS and extreme poverty demonstrates what makes us great to the world.
I am one Marine on this front line, but we will need more people here in New Hampshire to join the movement of more than 2.4 million Americans in the ONE Campaign that will make sure that the next president of the United States recognizes the importance of U.S. leadership in what is the greatest calling of our generation.
We are Americans; we can beat global AIDS and make extreme poverty history. I am proud to be an American, I am proud to be ONE. Semper Fidelis. Always Faithful. Please join the ONE Campaign: the campaign to make poverty history at www.ONE.org.
Ellie