Posted by johnnyrocket on October 11, 2007 at 6:36 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I am sad to hear of another soldier dying and my heart goes out to his family and loved ones. What scares me also is the fact that statistically our young men and women are safer while at war in Iraq than they are on the streets of Oxnard.

Posted by AnnaWhaat on October 11, 2007 at 6:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)

johnnyrocket,I tend to agree with you. My deepest condolences to the family and friends of this lost soldier.

Posted by garciajj03 on October 11, 2007 at 7:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)

R.I.P GILBERT...YOU WERE SUCH A GREAT PERSON..I WILL CHERISH ALL THOSE SWEET MEMORIES FROM HIGH SCHOOL..

Posted by britney on October 11, 2007 at 9:04 a.m. (Suggest removal)

R.i.P Gilbert we miss you, i hope you know you touched so many lives in the time you were here, we all miss you and pray for you! We know your in a better place, god bless you and your family. MAY YOU REST IN PARADISE!

Posted by califgal516 on October 11, 2007 at 9:13 a.m. (Suggest removal)

My heart goes out to the family. My son from Ventura just left two weeks ago for his second deployment to Iraq. I may not agree with the war, but I am 100% supportive of our military. I will continue to pray for the families and for our soldiers

Posted by cmnelson7890 on October 11, 2007 at 10:01 a.m. (Suggest removal)

The Family has my thoughts and prayers. God Bless our young men that are over there. May the Angels carry this young man straight to God.

Posted by lorenaglez_2000 on October 11, 2007 at 11:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Cpl. Gilberto A. Meza - R.I.P.

My prayers are for the entire family & close friends.

* * All if you can, Please take a minute and pray for all our Soldiers. May God continue to blessed them all. * *

Not many can do what Cpl. Meza was doing out there.

Regardless if you approve or are against the war, pray for our Soldiers & Family.

Lorena G.

Posted by babygirljen5 on October 11, 2007 at 12:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)

GILZ...
glz was an AMAZING person who could make the world laugh without trying.. he was a sweetheart tht put many people before himself... until we meet agan gilz.. PARTY LIKE A ROCKSTAR UP IN HEAVEN!!!
n save a spot for me when itz my time to go! love you 637
*JeNNY*

Posted by rosrcruzofoxnard on October 11, 2007 at 2:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Whatever, I just wanted to say that people do join the military but never in their wildest dreams do they think that they are joining that they will be killed. I think your statement is very in sensitive to Cpl Gilberto Meza and his family as well as all of us who served this country honorably in WWI, WWII, Korean, Vietnam,Graneda, Desert Storm and Iraq. My prayers go out to Cpl Gilberto and the Meza family as well as all our Service Men and Women who are protecting us and our way of life. If for you whatever to be able to talk freely as you have. I will pray for you as well. God Bless you and your family as well.

Posted by angrygirl8284 on October 11, 2007 at 5:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)

rosrcruzofoxnard, I agree with you. Whatever's comment was very insensitive. Yes, Cpl. Meza choose to join the military - and he should be commended for it. I hope Cpl. Meza's family knows how much his service meant to this country.

Posted by balert4all on October 11, 2007 at 6:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)

CPL. MEZA chose to join the Military, he also chose to fight for Our Country and most of all he chose to fight for OUR FREEDOM! Although I never met this young soldier, I thank him from the bottom of my heart for caring so much for me and my family. His family must be very Proud and so should all Oxnard Residents. I know I am! My deepest condolences to the family, may God grant you strenght and comfort in the days to come. God Bless Cpl. Meza, God Bless America, God Bless all our Military Men, and God Bless All of US.

Posted by balert4all on October 11, 2007 at 6:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)

CPL. MEZA chose to join the Military, he also chose to fight for Our Country and most of all he chose to fight for OUR FREEDOM! Although I never met this young soldier, I thank him from the bottom of my heart for caring so much for me and my family. His family must be very Proud and so should all Oxnard Residents. I know I am! My deepest condolences to the family, may God grant you strenght and comfort in the days to come. God Bless Cpl. Meza, God Bless America, God Bless all our Military Men, and God Bless All of US.

Posted by cassandra on October 11, 2007 at 6:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)

if you join the military, you will be taught to kill and might die. Somebody should tell kids this when they sign up and are seduced with ideas about the manliness of battle and all the benefits to self and familiy of service.

You could be exposed to toxic substances such as depleted uranium or earlier agent orange, and your government will not accept responsibility for your illness or the damage to your offspring. You will be asked to undergo terrible things and commit terrible acts that will stay with you the rest of your life. You will not be the same person when your return to your family. And the change will not be good for them or you.

I had to stop reading these remarks above, the sweet naivte' of these good people and these good wishes . . . It is so repetitive and foolish and so repetitively foolish. I long for a nation worthy of such sacrifice, of an administration that even just understood what it was asking of these kids.

Posted by ukaspar on October 12, 2007 at 1:05 a.m. (Suggest removal)

CPL Meza made less than $1900 a month, which, sad to say, was probably the most money he ever made. I know when I was in the army and serving in Iraq, my pay then was the best I'd ever had. The reasons for joining are complex--both money and a shot at a better life, and for sure, a deep sense of patriotism, and for many, the adventure. I wonder if the people really pulling the strings behind this immoral war are as patriotic as CPL Meza. Without a doubt, they are much richer. And most of them have never served a day in uniform (Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Rice) or they pulled strings to dodge the Vietnam bullet (Bush). What a shame it is that the people who are getting killed are those we can afford to lose the least--the real patriots who are willing to die for our freedom. And equally shameful--those we can afford to lose the most (those who would sacrifice others for their personal riches) are living it up while our soldiers and the Iraqi people are suffering.
Is anybody who is reading this that much better off than six years ago? Or do you still have the same fears and anxieties? Do you actually believe that the orchestrators of this war care about you? They want you to be afraid so that you will accept CPL Meza's death as necessary, which it certainly was not. Yes, he is a hero, in the true sense of the word. But listen to Cassandra--don't be naive and perpetuate the foolish romanticism of being a soldier. His death wasn't pretty--I've seen it, and it is messy and painful and shocking and sad. If the reason for it is to make the rich richer, then it isn't worth it. I can say more but it is just too much for me. Peace...

Posted by elgrande on October 12, 2007 at 8:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I remember this young man, another unnecessary casualty in this war for what???????...R.I.P. Gil.

Posted by 5up3r7r011 on October 14, 2007 at 5:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)

johnnyrocket, are you kidding? From Martin Sieff of UPI 4/30/07:

"In all, 33 U.S. soldiers were killed in the 12-day period from April 19 through Monday at an average rate of 2.75 per day. This marked a significant improvement on the previous 28-day period from March 22 to April 18 when 87 U.S. soldiers were killed at an average rate of just over 3.1 per day. It was also considerably better than the previous 22 day period from Feb. 28 to March 21, when 67 U.S. soldiers were killed at an average rate of just over three per day."

How is it a statistical fact that the streets of Oxnard are less safe? Where are those statistics?