War not only ravages the body. War savages the family. War kills the future. War assassinates the now. A soldier’s widow was forced by the United States Military to not only fight for her right to her dead husband’s sperm, but she was also pressed to dig into the muck and mire of a rigid military system that was unkind to the living remnants of a fallen body. Kynesha Dhanoolal won the battle, but lost her war.
I know it seems like the time for your vote is a long time from now but I thought I’d get your attention right now. I’m going to get right to the point. If you were considering not voting for Barack Obama, I’d like you to consider changing your mind and voting for him. Don’t worry, I have some thoughts as to why you should vote for him – this isn’t just a “Do it because I say so!” kind of argument. Okay, here goes:
The War
Yes, I am aware that I should start off with something a little bit more upbeat, but this is really important so I’m going to start with it. No need to start with a dozen appetizers when you know that the main course of your meal is going to be your favorite food in the world, am I right? Back to serious business.
As you may be aware, the candidate against whom Senator Barack Obama was not initially against the invasion of Iraq. Not only was she not against it but she actually voted for it. It wasn’t until a few years later that she changed positions and suddenly realized what our dear friend Senator Barack Obama knew from the beginning : going into Iraq would be a mistake.
Continue reading → A Special Message for Democrat SuperDelegates
Burma is burning. In blood. I’m not sure what to make of the monks’ protest or how to help their cause or what to do to stop the dying.
It is Memorial Day in America. Today we mourn and celebrate the lives lost in war while in service to our country. The word “Hero” has become overused in our colloquial culture. Teachers who help poor children learn are not heroes. Fathers are not heroes to daughters. A person pulled from a burning building was not saved by a hero. A Hero has a specific meaning and — I argue today of all days — a true Hero is a soldier who donates a bit of their body fighting on foreign soil. Some leave a leg. Some leave an arm. Others leave their hearts.
Today we live in perpetual
moments of melancholia that now define our modern lives. We do not live in a state of regret, but we live with an ongoing consciousness of things we have lost. How do we handle the recognition that, over the last four years, so many precious things have been forever stolen from us?
We have lost our sense of sanctuary. There are no safe places. We cannot find protection in schools, mosques, churches, or even with each other. We have lost our right to privacy.
We walk the streets and we are watched. We enter public buildings and we are required to provide ID just to remain in the building.
We surveil our neighbors. People different from us — in color and tone and financial stature — are our silent enemies and are ripe for the reporting. We have lost our joy to depravity.
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