You have a Son or Daughter in the Army...

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

Who is going to Iraq.

He or she doesn't want to go but everyone he or she knows is saying that it is his or her duty.

What ya' gonna say?

Do you pull out the video of F911?

Do you try to tell him or her what the act of killing will do to them?

Do you try to tell them that the war is bogus? For certain corporations?

Can you counter the $10,000.00+ BONUS? The College tuition?

Can you tell them they aren't ten feet tall and bullet proof?

Can you convince them that they do not live in a nation of whores?

Can you ever sleep again thinking you didn't do enough?








I pray for the parents, the sons, the daughters, the Iraqi victims...

I pray for the dead.

I pray for the dying.

I pray for my country.

We are all dying.





Slow or fast.

It's happening.

An old life passes.

To give birth to ..

Death.





It's a bad time for the world.

A new time for some.

An end nonetheless.

An end.


I'm not sad anymore.
I'm resigned.

Like a cow waiting for the sledge.
There's no use in kicking the stall.

I'm too fucking old.

[donco6]

1. Lots of good questions.

But I don't have any answers.

:(

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

3. Thanks for the Greatest vote....

I'm watching F911 again and this kind of spilled out with only one rewrite.

[w8liftinglady]

12. I watched that again..

what a powerful film.I'm glad they are showing it on Showtime here.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

26. It stokes a fire every time I see it.

[bonito]

2. Tell him to cover his ears and listen to his heart, n/t

[w8liftinglady]

4. My son is there

for the second time.
What can you do,as a parent-except speak out against this evil war,and try to inform as many people I can about the crimes this administration is committing.I support my son 100000%,and pray he and his comrades come home soon,and are received well by the American people.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

5. Thank you. We cannot disrespect the children...

They have been swayed by powers more powerful than us.

[meganmonkey]

7. He'll be in my prayers too

and I vow to receive the soldiers kindly and with patience when they return.

I can't even fathom the weight they will carry.

:cry:

[jbnow]

11. It can't be easy

my heart goes out to all of you.

It must have been tempting to stop him by force, tie him with duct tape, lock him in a nice room in Canada. I want to do that with less dangerous avocations my son enjoys...like racing bikes or climbing mountains.

But they are adults and you honor their right to choose, you have to. Well, unless you have enough duct tape...

[w8liftinglady]

15. I tried.

their dedication to each other is stronger than their desire to please their mom.They go back for each other.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

17. God love you. hon...

I can only imagine the sadness you feel.

[jbnow]

22. I really didn't mean it as

you should have done more.
I just know how much you'd want to and that we can't. Our babies aren't 4 any more even though we see that 4 year old in their eyes and our heart.

We need a military, it takes honor and courage to be a good soldier. What a shame when they are put in this position, in this war. Of course they'd want to be there for each other and we don't have enough duct tape for all them.

But please believe I wasn't implying you didn't do enough. Supporting him in what he decides is the best you can do. May all our kids and their kids be safe and in a safer world soon.

[hfojvt]

30. sounds like Private Ryan

"tell her I am with the only brothers I have left, and I am not going to abandon them." (probably not an exact quote)

[TacticalPeek]

20. Mine returned a few months ago.

The problem is President AWOL, and the world of lies he has created.

The troops are doing their job. I support your son, too.

Impeach President AWOL!


:patriot:

[sojourner]

24. My prayers with you and your son, too.........

:hug:

[Sparkly]

6. Hey Tom -- You're never too old to KICK THE STALL!!!

You make enough noise, you get heard, Tom!!!

They'll have done a LOT of damage in a few short years -- turning surpluses into deficits, employment into unemployment, liberties into Big Brother watching, peace into war, security into attacks, civility into hate-mongering, and truth into very dangerous lies.

But when it's all over, Tom, America will learn the painful lesson AGAIN, Democrats will inherit the wreckage again, and build order out of it again, as Clinton did. It may take longer than eight years this time, but we'll get it done.

Kick the stall, Tom!!! :hi:

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

9. In an obtuse way, I am kicking the stall here...

The Bush administration has destroyed America.

The America I grew up with is now dead.

Like the horse trapped in a stall. I wait.

I wait for a crack, a noise, a something to give me hope.

And if it does not come

I will kick in a kick and action that one might have

when faced with death.


And that's where many of us are heading.

May god help us all.

[Sparkly]

14. Well, you're far from alone.

Historically, it seems it's two steps forward, one step back. In this case, if the Clinton years were four steps forward, Chimpy's taking us eight steps back... But we'll move forward again. :hug:

[Spangle]

8. Time to question..... is before signing the contracts.

The sad part is, we never expect our government to send our boys to battle for a wrong reason.

[bonito]

10. That's exactly it.! and to Tom you speak for the real america

one voice among many growing, because of the many voices of the ones are america. Your sons journey is awakening this world, Noble indeed. He has my support and now my prayers.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

13. Bonito, I have no son....

I have a daughter in whom which I hope is never exposed to such things.

I do have a voice though. Heard or unheard, by many or none, it is a voice.

[bonito]

16. All are our sons and daughters.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

18. Six words have never said so much.

thank you.

[w8liftinglady]

21. well put.

[Solo_in_MD]

25. I am not a parent

But I am a teacher and have watched a number of my students enlist. Its been hard not to scream at them NOOOOOOO. We have a JROTC unit at the school, which is considered a cool crowd by many of the students.

We were "asked" not to show F911 to our students...some of us did it anyway.

[ithinkmyliverhurts]

19. I ask them what the fuck we've been in church for these past 18 years

and tell them they have no right going into the armed services. If they do, all of our theological/liturgical life is all for naught.

Little bastards.

[sojourner]

23. This weekend, my 21 yr old son called me....

He lives with his dad in a small conservative hick-town in CA and tho he promised me he wouldn't just enlist without talking to me first, he was apparently not fully convinced about what I'd shared with him re: bush and neocon agenda.

So this weekend said he'd just seen F911 for first time. He said, quite somberly..."I wanted to cry. For all the guys dying over there, and for NOTHING!"

He said he's heard of some folks deciding to go to jail rather than return. Sounds like he's made his decision.

Point is, I don't know what you can do to change their minds if they decide to go. I thank God my son decided to finally view the film.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

27. Good to hear, sojourner...

I just hope more kids see the film with an open mind.

[sojourner]

28. maybe we should try to arrange F9-11 house parties...for young'uns.

[dogday]

29. My Son leaves in a month for Afghanistan

I am worried, but I have been told it is safer. There have been alot riots and stuff lately there....