Happy Memorial Day
A message from my friend Michael North, who says it so much better than I can–
“The next time you hear someone thinking, “Hey, maybe this Iraq thing’s not so bad after all, it’s the thought that counts; who cares about the real reason we went in there. WMD’s or not, we showed them A-rabs not to mess with Texas — maybe if they get a little democracy some day and cool down it will have been worth it — ”
click here — Gallery of the 18-year-olds who have died for George Bush’s fabrications (http://projects.washingtonpost.com/fallen/ages/18/)
Other galleries show all ages, or people who have died from any service, state or city, eg:
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/fallen/branches/army-reserves/
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/fallen/states/ca/
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/fallen/states/tx/houston/
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/fallen/dates/2004/may/20/leslie-d-jackson/
For Memorial Day, let’s look silently, with respect, at the faces from our own hometown, our own state.
The finest of our young generation were told deliberate, high-sounding lies, blinded by a counterfeit flag…and went down to die for Republican one-party rule.
And then, in this fundamentally insane situation, when Marines go strange and start killing people — some act surprised. We prosecute them and throw them in jail…the end of their promising lives, no IED required.
They are guilty of negligent homicide, yes, and should be tried and punished — but not for murder. That honor goes to the the coup leaders at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, who provided the means, motive and opportunity. Who loaded the guns but left out the strategy, and the body armor. The higher the rank, the greater the punishment.
“All who are buried here understood their duty. They saw a dark shadow on the horizon, and went to meet it. They understood that tyranny must be met with resolve, and that liberty is always the achievement of courage.”…GWB, May 29, 2006…
Truly respecting these young soldiers — as opposed to cynically “honoring the troops” with high-sounding speeches at Arlington — is the real meaning of Memorial Day, which one day will be restored.
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G.I. Bill June 4, 2006 9:15 am
Energies transform into different types of expressions–my warrior stage has given way to a teaching phase–and motivations are beyond my personal survival to the survival of the species
A radical shift of consciousness has to occur in the human race–the idea of the necessity of war has to be altered into the obsolesence of war–which will evolve as hearts and minds are mended and not continually torn apart and returned to the continuing cycle of torment
May my testimony be a small part toward healing and the end of fighting
A Worthy Cause
The struggle is not so much about us anymore,
but for the next generations
and the world they face;
the same lessons that must be learned,
because we did not learn them.
Time heals nothing by itself;
mistakes must be confronted,
brought to the light,
and pain burned away
on the altar of forgiveness.
Cry when we have to cry,
and the need to cry ultimately
will be over.
Pray fear and regret into peace and serenity
by putting failing into God’s hands;
and see the love the Universe offers
that we may receive it,
And teach that
our sons and daughters
and their babies
may have life
and a future to be,
a worthy destiny.
Robt June 4, 2006 3:10 am
Do you still fight? But only in a different way and over different reasons?