I Salute You

Recently I heard that the "official" war in Afghanistan is wrapping up. Over the years, various people and organizations have asked what my stance on the war is. I always say the same thing:

"I support the soldiers, not the cause."

Because I do. I will ALWAYS support the men and women who go and fight, no matter how meaningless or misguided the war is. I support them because without them this sovereign soil we make such a big deal over wouldn't exist. This place, this country - confused, brutal, compassionate and shallow - wouldn't be if not for the soldiers who gives their minds, hearts, and lives for it.

I believe war is morally wrong, just like eating the last cookie and not telling anyone or the slaughter of animals is. However, don't you dare label me and put me in a neat little bracket like "Liberal" or "Conservative." I also believe in the death penalty, with reservations. I believe in free will, and choice (even as I hate making choices). I don't believe humanity will ever free itself from war and genocide and selfishness. We are put together this way so that we have something to transcend.

During the Vietnam war soldiers were brutalized in the field for doing the dirty work of corrupt and frightened politicians, then they returned home - to this US of A we're all so proud of - and were brutalized again by the people who should have honored them. I am afraid of violence; I know I'm not capable of protecting myself if someone wanted to harm me. But I am more afraid of betrayal, and the psychological violence that goes on every day, without cessation, and has since mankind came down out of the trees. There are pithier terms for it, of course: my favorite colloquialism is "head-f***." The psychological scars of war are the biggest head-f*** of all.

So here then is something to remind you of the men who are called monsters. They are misunderstood, misrepresented, but merely men, after all. Merely men, doing a job the rest of us can't or won't. Think about them next time you whine about your first-world problems. Aren't you lucky there are people out there standing between you and whatever big scary things the other humans on this planet are thinking, or plotting, or dreaming?

Soldiers, I salute you. Welcome home.

 

And here is something to listen to that always makes me cry: 

Heaven was Needing a Hero
Hero
Just a Dream

This is WolfGrrl.