Posted by tealady on March 29, 2006, at 15:11:15
In reply to Here is another view...long but worth reading..., posted by wildcard11 on March 28, 2006, at 21:41:57
>
> I pass this on because sometimes we just forget. This is a good one!
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Steven R Chandler, CMSgt
> > 332 ELRS/Vehicle Management
> > Flight Balad Air Base, Iraq
> >
> > The other day, my nine year old son wanted to know why we were at
> > war...My husband looked at our son and then looked at me. My husband and
> > I were in the Army during the Gulf War and we would be honored to serve
> > and defend our Country again today. I knew that my husband would give him
> > a good explanation. My husband thought for a few minutes and then told my
> > son to go stand in our front living room window.
> >
> > He said "Son, stand there and tell me what you see?"
> >
> > "I see trees and cars and our neighbor's houses." he replied.
> >
> > "OK, now I want you to pretend that our house and our yard is the United
> > States of America and you are President Bush."
> >
> > Our son giggled and said "OK."
> >
> > "Now son, I want you to look out the window and pretend that every house
> > and yard on this block is a different country" my husband said.
> >
> > "OK Dad, I'm pretending."
> >
> > "Now I want you to stand there and look out the window and pretend you
> > see Saddam come out of his house with his wife, he has her by the hair
> > and is hitting her. You see her bleeding and crying. He hits her in the
> > face, he throws her on the ground, then he starts to kick her to death.
> > Their children run out and are afraid to stop him, they are screaming and
> > crying, they are watching this but do nothing because they are kids and
> > they are afraid of their father. You see all of this, son....what do you
> > do?"
> >
> > "Dad?"
> >
> > "What do you do son?"
> >
> > "I'd call the police, Dad."
> >
> > "OK. Pretend that the police are the United Nations. They take your call.
> > They listen to what you know and saw but they refuse to help. What do you
> > do then son?"
> >
> > "Dad.......... but the police are supposed to help!" My son starts to
> > whine.
> >
> >
> > "They don't want to son, because they say that it is not their place or
> > your place to get involved and that you should stay out of it," my
> > husband says.
> >
> > "But Dad...he killed her!!" my son exclaims.
> >
> > "I know he did...but the police tell you to stay out of it. Now I want
> > you to look out that window and pretend you see our neighbor who you're
> > pretending is Saddam turn around and do the same thing to his children."
> >
> > "Daddy...he kills them?"
> >
> > "Yes son, he does. What do you do?"
> >
> > "Well, if the police don't want to help, I will go and ask my next door
> > neighbor to help me stop him." our son says.
> >
> > "Son, our next door neighbor sees what is happening and refuses to get
> > involved as well. He refuses to open the door and help you stop him," my
> > husband says.
> >
> > "But Dad, I NEED help!!! I can't stop him by myself!!"
> >
> > "WHAT DO YOU DO SON?" Our son starts to cry.
> >
> > "OK, no one wants to help you, the man across the street saw you ask for
> > help and saw that no one would help you stop him. He stands taller and
> > puffs out his chest. Guess what he does next son?"
> >
> > "What Daddy?"
> >
> > "He walks across the street to the old ladies house and breaks down her
> > door and drags her out, steals all her stuff and sets her house on fire
> > and then...he kills her. He turns around and sees you standing in the
> > window and laughs at you. WHAT DO YOU DO?"
> >
> > "Daddy..."
> >
> > "WHAT DO YOU DO?" Our son is crying and he looks down and he whispers,
> > "I'd close the blinds, Daddy."
> >
> > My husband looks at our son with tears in his eyes and asks him. "Why?"
> >
> > "Because Daddy.....the police are supposed to help people who needs
> > them...and they won't help.... You always say that neighbors are supposed
> > to HELP neighbors, but they won't help either...they won't help me stop
> > him...I'm afraid....I can't do it by myself Daddy.....I can't look out my
> > window and just watch him do all these terrible things and...and.....do
> > nothing...so....I'm just going to close the blinds.... so
> >
> > I can't see what he's doing........and I'm going to pretend that it is
> > not happening."
> >
> > I start to cry. My husband looks at our nine year old son standing in the
> > window, looking pitiful and ashamed at his answers to my husband's
> > questions and he says...
> >
> > "Son"
> >
> > "Yes, Daddy."
> >
> > "Open the blinds because that man.... he's at your front door... "WHAT DO
> > YOU DO?"
> >
> > My son looks at his father, anger and defiance in his eyes. He balls up
> > his tiny fists and looks his father square in the eyes, without
> > hesitation he says: "I DEFEND MY FAMILY DAD!! I'M NOT GONNA LET HIM HURT
> > MOMMY OR MY SISTER, DAD!!! I'M GONNA FIGHT HIM, DAD, I'M GONNA FIGHT
> > HIM!!!!!"
> >
> > I see a tear roll down my husband's cheek and he grabs our son to his
> > chest and hugs him tight, and says... "It's too late to fight him, he's
> > too strong and he's already at YOUR front door son.....you should have
> > stopped him BEFORE he killed his wife, and his children and the old lady
> > across the way. You have to do what's right, even if you have to do it
> > alone, before its too late." my husband whispers. THAT scenario I just
> > gave you is WHY we are at war with Iraq. When good men stand by and let
> > evil happen son, THAT is the greatest atrocity in the world. "YOU MUST
> > NEVER BE AFRAID TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT! EVEN IF YOU HAVE TO DO IT ALONE!" BE
> > PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN! BE PROUD OF OUR TROOPS!! SUPPORT THEM!!! SUPPORT
> > AMERICA SO THAT IN THE FUTURE OUR CHILDREN WILL NEVER HAVE TO CLOSE THEIR
> > BLINDS..."
> >
> > This should be printed in every newspaper and posted in every school in
> > America . Of course that won't happen so we'll use the internet. If your
> > blinds are closed do nothing with this email. If they are open I do not
> > need to tell you what to do.
> >
> >
> > Steven R Chandler, CMSgt
> > 332 ELRS/Vehicle Management
> > Flight Balad Air Base, Iraq
>
> ****and now i am REALLY going....
>As I feel this may be directed at my poast, I'll reply.
IF Saddam or equivalent HAD coming knocking at your door.. ie invaded and started bombing the actual US , and if he had started mistreating US citizens in the US.. killing them, torturing them , imprisoning them ..
Obviously.. the right and just thing to do is to FIGHT.. its called DEFENCE
as I did point out that being invaded isdifferent. In my view a "just" time to fight!!
I thought I made that obvious.
But Saddam didn't.The answer to one side killing thousands or mistreating them (assuming this is the case) is not to go in and kill a few more thousands and imprison even more.
The answer is also NOT to take over that countries recources (oil income) then for yourself either.The answer Is NOT to put yourself above the conventions for war. The answer is NOT to rename the invasion as "not a war but unasked for "help"."
You cannot really call attacking another counrry on its soil DEFENCE. ??????
That "story" about the boy twists self-defence , someone invading his home and defending your family into an attack of a country on the other side of the world?That govt possibly may have been the countries best solution, at least in the South The US is not in a position to be judge, jury and executioner.
And the UN was asked ..and didn't agree??
It was an invasion attacking a popularly elected govt, the only one at the time that had some control of most of the factions in the south.
Perhaps if this country did not have a vast wealth of oil , or "Payback" was not a motive, the US would not have cared?
Consider Rwanda, a more obvious case of mistreatment of its citizens IMO. Did the US think it should "help" there..??
But there are many other examples. They just aren't as enticing as "targets".Everyone does have a choice, although admittedly in some cases its not great when its death or fight.
poster:tealady
thread:625766
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/poli/20060322/msgs/626188.html