APOLOGY

Yesterday I got an e-mail from a columnist, JACK NEWORTH, who writes a weekly column for the Santa Monica Daily Press called LAUGHING MATTERS.

He asked me if I knew of how many soldiers from Santa Monica had died in Iraq.

After researching the issue for awhile I answered Mr. Neworth with the following comment;

" I couldn't find anything Jack, and maybe there's a small chance that nobody from Santa Monica was stupid enough to go over there."

As I was falling asleep last night it bothered me how stupid my comment was and I decided to write an apology to him this morning in an e-mail.

When I got up and turned on my computer there was another e-mail from Jack containing

the following information from May of 2005

It is with extreme sadness and remorse that I announce the passing of Officer Ricardo A. Crocker, known to all of us as “Rick”, 39 years of age and a 10 year veteran of the Santa Monica Police Department. Officer Crocker was in the midst of his second tour of duty in Iraq, and was killed yesterday (5/26/05) morning at 6:45am PST in the province of Al-Anbar, Iraq by an RPG (Rocket Propelled Grenade) attack. Rick was identified by his Dog Tags and the name badge on his uniform. It is unknown at this time if there were additional casualties in this attack.
Rick is survived by his Mother - Jeanette, Father – Curtis, Sisters – Marisa and Maria, Brother – Carlos and has one deceased sister, Linda, who passed 11 years ago. Rick was single and had no children.

I decided not to write an e-mail apology to Mr. Neworth but instead write an open apology to the family and friends of RICARDO CROKER.

Using the word stupid when referring to individuals who fulfill their obligations is totally wrong and will never be repeated.

My problem is fairly simple....

I THINK WAR IS STUPID and throughout history can only classify a few wars that could be deemed necessary.

The Iraq War is most definitely not one of those wars.

The fact that a family has to lose a loving member due to reasons that are not justifiable

is STUPID

INDIVIDUALS WHO DIE BECAUSE THEY HAVE CHOSEN TO BE A PART OF THE MILITARY COMPLEX ....ARE NOT STUPID.

I WAS STUPID FOR IMPLYING THAT AND I APOLOGIZE ESPECIALLY TO THE FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF.......

RICHARDO A. CROKER

MICHAEL TIMOTHY MC ALEVEY