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What about the warriors?
By farrind on 2008-10-03 21:29:00
I enjoy bumper stickers. When I am in a car, or walking along a sidewalk or a parking lot and look around me, bumper
stickers are what catch my eye. If you drive much, particularly in crowded areas you may know what I'm talking about. I
like them all (almost). Whether colorful, odd, proclaiming a cause, a candidate, a baseball team or a joke, I notice. When I
see "Proud Parent of an Honor Student at "T sense the pride. And just recently I saw a meaningful one which stopped
me in my tracks. It read "Against the War, not the Warrior" Isn't there a lot behind this message? Look at what the sticker
does not say. Among other things it doesn't say right out "End the war now" and we can't tell if the owner of the car is
specifically affiliated with a group or movement. It does not even say which war! What I'm thinking about tonight, though,
is whether this sticker, this idea is reasonable. Can you support our service people, our soldiers, but be against the war in
Iraq? Can you have an opinion, perhaps a strong one about the advisability of this war, what made us send our men and
women there in the first place- yet care about them, support them just as strongly? It is my belief that you can, and this
message, "Against the War, not the Warrior" has been much on my mind lately (so keep watch: more may come up in other
postings!) This bumper sticker sprouted this idea in my mind: a person who has doubts about this war might ask one of these
brave women or men who are soldiers, "Why are you in the Army (or Marines, etc.)?" Or to simply ask how much do those
in uniform support this, believe in the cause? Or, was the cause, helping Iraq only part of the reason the soldier enlisted? I'm
asking, not in a challenging way, but more in the spirit of conversation, of wanting to know...really, of wanting to explore the
idea of "supporting the warrior". Because, inside me, I hold our brave soldiers in the highest regard. I feel we owe them a
great deal. I wish I could tell each woman and man Thank you individually. The more I imagine what they are doing, the
more amazement and respect I feel. It took a bumper sticker to make me think about you, our enlisted men and women, and
I realize I should think about you much more. So here it is for the record. To all who are abroad right now, and to those who
have returned, I send my honest and humble appreciation. Farrind
