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Standing in line at the grocery store. I'm watching the grocery store TVs they installed a few months ago, transfixed by a guy making the most life-like flowers out of fondant or something. The segment finishes, and noticing that the woman behind me is also transfixed, I say, "Wow, wonder what those go for!" She says, "Actually, I was watching the news ticker -- they mentioned an army unit that was going to be sent to Iraq isn't going anymore, and I'm hoping it's my son's unit." Oh. Wow. That shuts me up. Then we both study the ticker, waiting for the item to come up again. After a minute or two, there it is -- a unit in Germany won't be going, but they don't say which one. "Is your son in Germany right now?" I ask. "Yes, he is," she says. "It would be such a blessing if he didn't have to go. This will be his second time. He was 19 when he went the first time... he's not the same child he was." "I would imagine not," I reply lamely. We're both quiet while my stuff is rung up. I turn to her before leaving. "I hope it is your son's unit," I say. "Thanks," she says. "I've got to call him as soon as I get home."
Back out to my car... with its bumperstickers: "If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention" and "Last time we mixed politics and religion, people got burned at the stake" and "Human milk for human babies" and the equality symbol... and "Question war" which (if you click the link you can see it) says "Question war" on a yellow ribbon in the shape of a question mark. As I'm pulling out, I see the woman walking through the parking lot behind me. Wonder if she sees my sticker, wonder what she thinks of it.
I hope it's her son's unit that's not going. I'd pray for her if I believed there was a god. I wish it weren't an issue at all. No one's children should be in this war. Or hell, send the Bush twins, then see how fucking gung-ho Daddy W is feeling.
I'd say, Bring them all home! if it were that simple. But W got us into this mess, and something has to be done to clean it up. Now, I would have been happier if he'd gone with the UN and sent UN troops (okay, US troops in a different outfit) -- at least then we'd have some standing in the world. But no, had to go it alone, and while I'd rather he weren't playing with the lives of kids who probably never expected to go to war and were just looking for a bootstrap up, I also feel like it's the US's obligation to clean up the mess it made. I just wish it weren't these kids doing the cleanup. Wish we could send Bush and Cheney and his cadre and make them do it themselves, instead of sacrificing this generation.
Back out to my car... with its bumperstickers: "If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention" and "Last time we mixed politics and religion, people got burned at the stake" and "Human milk for human babies" and the equality symbol... and "Question war" which (if you click the link you can see it) says "Question war" on a yellow ribbon in the shape of a question mark. As I'm pulling out, I see the woman walking through the parking lot behind me. Wonder if she sees my sticker, wonder what she thinks of it.
I hope it's her son's unit that's not going. I'd pray for her if I believed there was a god. I wish it weren't an issue at all. No one's children should be in this war. Or hell, send the Bush twins, then see how fucking gung-ho Daddy W is feeling.
I'd say, Bring them all home! if it were that simple. But W got us into this mess, and something has to be done to clean it up. Now, I would have been happier if he'd gone with the UN and sent UN troops (okay, US troops in a different outfit) -- at least then we'd have some standing in the world. But no, had to go it alone, and while I'd rather he weren't playing with the lives of kids who probably never expected to go to war and were just looking for a bootstrap up, I also feel like it's the US's obligation to clean up the mess it made. I just wish it weren't these kids doing the cleanup. Wish we could send Bush and Cheney and his cadre and make them do it themselves, instead of sacrificing this generation.
