On 4/19/07, Robert Seeberger <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > Nick? Are you weirding out on us? > What would ever make you think that people do not identify with our > soldiers and their families?
While my concern was unjustified -- you're right, there are memorials and vigils on college campuses for those killed in Iraq... I forgot that the media doesn't cover things that happen every day. I was wrong. At the same time, it often seems as though only the military is sacrificing for this war. We are not being asked to sacrifice to support the troops, which I believe is isolating. And there are policies like hiding the returning caskets, supposedly on behalf of the families of the fallen... which is also isolating. I have yet to hear one such family support that particular policy. > > Big difference Nick. > You have to choose to join the military to go to Iraq to be shot at. > The students and staff of VT were given no choice in the matter. Sure... tell that to the service members on their second or third tour, who have just been extended... again. The stop-lossers who thought they were already out... the back-door draft. Tell it to the majority serving in Iraq who don't believe we belong there. > > > Today I had the pleasure of telling another Vietnam vet, "Welcome > > home." > > > > Kinda late for that now, isn't it? Absolutely not. Do you know any? I have never had any response but great appreciation when I say that. Trauma doesn't know anything about time. I can feel like I'm back in a triage situation from 20 years ago at any moment. And things like the VT shootings take me back there. Our Gold Star families mailing list was incredibly bitchy in the last week, which has never happened before... took me a few days to realize that every one of us had been hit very hard by the trigger of the words and imagines of VT. I didn't handle it well, certainly. Nick -- Nick Arnett [EMAIL PROTECTED] Messages: 408-904-7198 _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
