Note to reader: I have no idea how it happened, but somehow, the bottom part of my post below came out in pale yellow in my regular entry. Don't know how to fix it, so just copied to this addition.
Wider: Great fun with my friends yesterday--and yet and yet...one of the members of our group has a son in the military. Yesterday she told us he was being deployed to Iraq for the second time. Mind you, this is her son's career--he's not a ghetto kid unable to find a job. He's been in for years and is married with two kids. Now what do I do here? Do I express my utter and complete opposition to the criminal action he's perpetuating? Do I say, "Oh, so he's a hired killer, huh?" Do I remind his anxious mother that, if he does his job properly, he'll participate in the slaughter of humans? No, I don't have that kind of courage--I don't even think it is courage--I simply said, "I'm sorry." I think this points up the almost hopeless task we face. It grieves me to know that so many people I like and admire--so many friends, so many relatives--blindly follow the warmongers' lead. If I express my opposition or even question the morality of our crimes, I'm greeted either with puzzlement or shocked indignation. So I remain silent. And I feel guilty about it.
Back To The Mundane: Anyhoo, it was generally a good day. My buddies stayed until 5:00. After they left, however, I somehow fell off the good food wagon and devoured pretzels, peanut butter, and several slices of the luscious homemade cake from the freezer. Boy, I haven't done this for an age and I paid for it. Woke up with acid reflux or whatever it is and I can tell you, that smarts.
Doctor appointment today, then I'll set up the Deathtrap display at the library. Hope Frank can help me this afternoon.
SATURDAY
Nothing much going on in the morning. Later, I walked to the P.O. to send some of the overseas Thanksgiving cards and check the weight of a...
3 comments:
Hi Mimi,
I don’t think there is any reason for you to feel guilty regarding the mother and for showing some tact. Who knows, she might feel as we do about the wars and the military. I see the same reactions in my friends and family. My brother told me he didn’t like the content of what I write. People think I’m a lunatic and sometimes I feel that way myself. The thing is if you don’t spend some time delving into what the government is doing there is no common ground or understanding with people who have not really spent much time reading about what is going on so on that count it is quite difficult to bridge that gap. Most people are caught up in the partisan thing which makes any kind of meaningful discourse on politics impossible.
Sensible words, Rob, especially your last sentence. Thanks.
It's her son and she's probably just plain terrified. I think "I'm sorry" was the best thing to say under the circumstances.
Post a Comment