Dear Trevor and Samantha:

You are 19 years old, twins of the late Ambassador Joe Wilson.  I have never had the pleasure of meeting you, so I hope you’ll forgive me if I think of you as young children because that’s what you were when the world first learned about you and your mom and dad. 

I am very sorry to learn about the passing of your father, Ambassador Wilson, this week.  It just so happens that last weekend I watched the fine film Fair Game, the story about your mom, Valerie Plame.  In that movie, it was uncanny how much Sean Penn reminded me of your dad.

Trevor and Samantha, your dad, Joe Wilson, was a patriot, with a distinguished record serving in the State Department.  To use the parlance of the current political climate, your dad was an honorable “whistleblower.”  He courageously challenged the establishment with his legendary article—“What I Didn’t Find in Niger”—during the run up to the war on Iraq in 2002. While the war hawks were pushing the fib that Iraq was seeking to purchase “yellow cake” from Niger to build a nuclear weapon, your dad had the guts to call them on their false assertion. 

Sad, isn’t it?  Today, virtually no American thinks the war on Iraq was a good idea.  Yet, at the time, for anyone to speak out against it was considered unpatriotic, if not treasonous.  And when I was your age, during the 1960s, the same thing could be said about Vietnam. 

One quagmire after another.

Plain and simple, your dad tried to prevent an unnecessary war.  Did he fail?  In terms of accomplishing his immediate, short-term objective, yes, he did.  And, as has been the case throughout history, the truthteller is nearly always punished. Not only did our country prosecute an illegal war anyway, but the cruel administration at the time outed his wife—your mother, Valerie Plame—a CIA operative, and ruined her career. 

However, the ripple effect of Ambassador Wilson’s brave work lives on!  How? In truthseekers like me. Two decades later, in honor of your dad, I pledge to be a thorn in the side of the war promoters by reminding our fellow Americans that these same “chickenhawks” that lied us into the last war are trying to lie us into the next one.   

For the record, I have passionately donated my time in preparing care packages for American troops stationed in the desert overseas. The truth is I wish I didn’t have to.  I would much prefer American soldiers were home with their families–where they should be–in their kitchens packing lunches for their own boys and girls to take to school.

Trevor and Samantha, I have no doubt your father’s healthy skepticism has already saved lives by preventing more unnecessary killing in the Middle East. The war hawks’ non-stop “Wolf! Wolf!” isn’t working this time.  Would there were more courageous patriots like your dad around today. He did his best to put America first.

R.I.P. Joe Wilson.  And thank you for your service.