"Scott Ritter Talks Tough with High School Students"

Pamela Leavey sets up her post on Ritter's appearance at her daughter's high school in North Hollywood, California:

One of the greatest catalysts for me to get involved with politics after years of political apathy, was my teenager. Her future lies in delicate balance as our country and the future of our children, continues to be sold out by the Bush administration and their supporters. Thursday morning I had the opportunity to join my daughter at her school to listen to Scott Ritter talk about Iraq, Iran and the need for our youth to get involved with their future and the future of our country.

Now it just so happens I have a teenage daughter and I also graduated from North Hollywood High School after moving from New York as a high school student. So I feel close to this situation. Ritter believes we are going to war in Iran. Here's an except from Pamela Leavey's report on Ritter's remarks.

“They have it in their plan (the 2006 National Security Plan).” Ritter explained that the “2002 National Security Plan only mentions Iraq once,” however he said, “the 2006 National Security Plan mentions Iran 16 times.” In the rush to war with Iraq, the Bush administration had “pre-programmed minds to accept that Saddam was a threat,” said Ritter. He explained that they are now doing the same thing with Iran — pre-programming American’s to believe that war with Iran was right. The cost of war” Ritter said, “goes beyond the thousands in the hospitals around the country” who’s lives will never be the same, living with lost limbs, and PTSD. “The other cost of war” he told the students, “is that you have to shoot someone and they have lives just like you. You have to live with that. When you go to war, you are scared to death.”

On his flight to Los Angeles, Ritter said he spoke with Marines coming home from Iraq. They told him, it was now as if, “We’re going to war for the sole purpose of keeping our friends alive.”

“We are now heading towards a war with Iran,” Ritter told the students and it’s going to be ‘Your War.’” “Gas and oil prices are going to get worse. My generation let you down. Hopefully, you are going to get up and fix it” because he explained, “it’s your future.”