Sometimes, "Big Brother is Watching You" is a very sweet thing. I saw this trio of little kiddies walking along a path at Moreau Lake State Park last week, all very carefully holding hands and being safely led along by the oldest child in the middle. So small, so trusting, so vulnerable. But who would dream of harming such tender innocent little children?
Then I saw this photo of Afghani children yesterday in The New York Times. The family was fleeing in terror from a Taliban attack on a U.N.-affiliated compound in Kabul. But they could be children of any country torn by any war.
This Memorial Day, we will gather to honor the bravery of those soldiers who died in battle. There will be parades and speeches and raising of monuments in their honor. But who will speak for the innocent children caught up in the horrors of war?
As of Tuesday, May 21, 2013, at least 2,091 members of the U.S. military have died in Afghanistan. Some of them have died doing things like this: "The deadliest attack was the bombing of a military convoy delivering books to a school in southern Afghanistan's Zabul province in which three service members, a State Department civilian and a Department of Defense civilian were killed, according to U.S officials*..."
ReplyDelete*http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/06/world/afghanistan-violence
That is so tragic. My heart aches for all, soldiers and civilians alike, who have died in this useless war that has nothing whatsoever to do with defending our freedoms. Our government sent brave soldiers to invade another nation and kill its people, and they get killed in return. That's the nature of war. All wars. May God send us leaders who understand the sinfulness and futility of war. And may the American people stop thinking of war as some kind of noble and honorable enterprise. It is not. War stinks.
ReplyDeleteI don't dare post things like this for fear of upsetting my family (all military), but in my heart of hearts, I agree with you. Thank you for sticking up for those who can't stick up for themselves.
ReplyDeleteThese two photographs speak volumes.
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