Friday, July 15, 2005
Hearts
In this photo released Friday, July 15, 2005, by Jonathan Powers is U.S. Army Capt. Jonathan Powers with an unidentified orphan at a playground at the Adhamiya Public Orphanage in Baghdad, Iraq. Powers, 27, is director of the upstart Orphans and Street Kids Project, whose goal is to coordinate the country's ill-equipped orphanages and offer vocational training for children living on the streets and out of the facilities' reach.
The soldiers who serve in Iraq and Afghanistan are doing wonderful things for those countries. They are also preparing to be the next generation of great American leaders. Who does not doubt that America will select or elect an entire generation of executives, legislators and probably Presidents who are today learning their craft in those battlefields? They will come home and teach us the meaning of service, at least if we have the character to pay attention.
4 Comments:
By 
, at
Sat Jul 16, 09:20:00 AM:
The day Patrick Resta, twenty-six, arrived in Iraq, one of the soldiers in his unit had half his head blown off by a roadside bomb. They bagged his body and set up camp as local villagers shot rocket-propelled grenades at their encampment. "In the confusion," he says, "this car came down the road, dragging a piece of metal and throwing off sparks. The next thing you know, thirty guys from my unit opened fire on the car, which, as it turned out, contained three innocent civilians, one of them a twelve-year-old boy. This is all in my first three hours in the country. My entire tour of duty was a complete clusterfuck." He now volunteers for a group of ex-soldiers called Veterans for Peace, visiting schools in the Philadelphia area and telling kids about the reality of war. "It's not a video game. You're shooting real human beings, and it's a horrific thing. These army recruiters show up in their crisp uniforms to talk about adventure, heroism, free college tuition, and so on. The kids are young and they don't think their own government would lie to them. But I tell them, 'Hey, they're lying, to everybody. Don't believe any of it.'"
- Jake MacDonald, "Arsenal of Illusion," from The Walrus, July/August 2005, p.38.
Peace.
By 
Josh, at
Sat Jul 16, 11:13:00 PM:
Captain Anonymo above is proof positive that the so called "reality based community" dwells on the negative rather than highlighting the positive inroads that are being made.
The glass is never half full - it is always in peril of being drained of natural resources by the imperialistic Great Satan and the lying Chimpy McHallibush. These people will mostly die young of some stress related illness.
By , at
Mon Jul 18, 01:28:00 AM:
What's negative about my post? It's a veteran telling the truth about his experience in Iraq and dedicating himself to educating kids back home. It's wonderful news.
Peace.
By Josh, at
Mon Jul 18, 02:04:00 PM:
What is negative about your post, Anonymous?
Tigerhawk writes a post containing this: "The soldiers who serve in Iraq and Afghanistan are doing wonderful things for those countries."
to which you respond with a quote containing this: "But I tell them, 'Hey, they're lying, to everybody. Don't believe any of it." and "My entire tour of duty was a complete clusterfuck." It may be true and it may be telling, but it is hardly narmative and shows you to be dwelling in the doom and gloom news section.
How exactly is that even relavent to TH's post? It's wonderful news? What kind of warped mind likes to read about soldiers being killed and relates that it is somehow wonderful news? No, the original post was wonderful news. Iraqi children learning firsthand that we aren't a Great Satan is wonderful news. Your comment was rubbish.
"Have the character to pay attention."
