Elected Officials Must Show Up However Needed-It Was Enlisted Men & Civilians Who Died In Korean War

The 5 pictures here are big panels listing American dead from the Korean War. There are also a small number of dead listed here from Korean units attached to American units. I took the pictures last week at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.

The dead on the panels are posted by rank. It looked to me that at least 95% of the dead were enlisted men rather than officers. The approximate death toll of U.S. Troops was 34,000. (The total dead of the Korean War is estimated as high as 3 million people. The great majority were civilians.)

My father was a Corporal and combat zone medic in Korea. He was 19 or 20 when sent to Korea. I was just struck looking at the panels how many of the dead were enlisted men.

If our systems can send young people to war and to to take great risk, then our elected officials can also be asked to do whatever required to confront the authoritarian threat we face today from the political right.

These steps and risks can involve using campaign funds to help in races across Harris County, knocking doors and making phone calls to increase voter turnout, holding “Democracy Town Halls” to inform constituents about the risks (Including mass deportations) of Republican rule, pressing fellow elected Democrats to be involved in Campaign 2024, being willing to directly address and criticize local elected Republicans as weak on democracy and as such a threat to public safety, & being open to taking part in street protests and other non-conventional political actions if Republicans refuse to accept election results or overturn election results.
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The Korean War was a long time ago. (Though it is not officially over even today.) But the issues of sacrifice and freedom present in that conflict are still urgent. Elected officials have been able to successfully navigate political systems delivering authoritarian and near authoritarian outcomes. They have used community resources of donations and volunteer labor to win election. So they can show up as needed to protect the people of Houston and Harris County from the potential worst outcomes of these systems.

Please sign the Houston Democracy Project petition to make the pledge to show up for freedom in 2024 no matter what.

The Houston Democracy Project works daily to inspire, organize and strengthen pro-democracy coalitions in Houston and Harris County.  

Please share word of the Houston Democracy Project and support the effort with your contribution. If you have a question about the Project or a suggestion, please send an e-mail to [email protected]​

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