I weep for the children of War
Children of war are collateral damage.
I think of candles for Caylee and segue to the candlelight vigils in which I’ve participated to honor the dead, not just for our own servicemen and women but also civilians. Then I transition to another acknowledgment, a graveyard of empty boots and shoes, representing troops who’ve died and civilians killed. This exhibit is fall-to-the-ground painful—especially the small pieces of canvas or leather, the children’s shoes.
I remember former U.S. Secretary of State Madeline Albright’s frigid response when questioned about the deaths of 576,000 Iraqi children (from sanctions in Iraq): “This is a very hard choice, but we think the price is worth it.” Yes, 576,000 children. Really, five hundred and seventy-six thousand Caylee Anthonys.
Formal research shows a link between U.S. armed service members deployed six months or more in Iraq and Afghanistan and increased mental illness in their children—problems significant enough to require hospitalization. No surprise. But extend this further, to the places our military personnel deploy, and imagine the psychic damage inflicted on children who endure war's savagery.
A site, Iraq: the Human Costs (http://web.mit.edu/humancostiraq/) provides a glimpse into what is neglected in mainstream political discourse, war's effect on those who live in the countries we invade. Read it, weep, and understand that Iraq is also Afghanistan, Pakistan, or any country ours chooses to devastate.
I weep for our once non violent leaders who now support War over peace.
On Wednesday morning June 29, 2011 a delegation of mostly black Georgia residents and others from the Diaspora met in front of the downtown Atlanta office of Congressman John Lewis. Some of them, including former Georgia Rep. Cynthia McKinney, had recently returned from Libya. They came --- I should say we came, since I was one of them, though I was not among those returning from abroad --- to take Congressman Lewis to task for his inexcusable vote to fund the US armed intervention in Libya.
Near the end of his long career, the Atlanta congressman enjoys a reputation as a man of peace and nonviolence, a reputation somewhat tarnished by his occasional votes during the Bush years and perhaps afterward, to fund unjust wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. But it was the latest stain upon the Lewis legacy, his vote to fund the so-called humanitarian bombing of African people in Libya that provoked this visit.
I weep for our sons and daughters who are fighting, dying and being maimed for life trying to win a war against a tactic.
The main problem with responding to the September 11 attacks by proclaiming a "War on Terror" is that terrorism is a tactic. Bush had a better approach before his national security team got together and decided to conquer the Middle East and Central Asia.
I weep for those who care more about politics than they care about women's lives and grown folks having a job.
We’ve all done it and lived to regret it. Last night I went down the rabbit hole of comments posted in response to the news about our filing suit against North Carolina for singling out Planned Parenthood and banning us from doing business with the state.
Aside from the nut jobs that refuse to admit Planned Parenthood provides health care, there were two strands of comments that made me a bit crazy. Several people seemed genuinely baffled as to why we were shocked to have been cut. Let me say for the record, we wouldn’t have been shocked had we simply been cut. I mean, we’re all aware of the devastating cuts wreaked on education by the new legislative majority.
So, no, we’re not suing because our funding was reduced. We’re suing because we were BANNED from doing business with the state in a purely political move by the new legislative majority despite a gubernatorial veto.
For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning. Psalm 30:5 New Living translation 2007
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