We just aren't angry enough - Democratic Underground

proud2BlibKansan

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Mon Jan-15-07 01:26 AM
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We just aren't angry enough

I watched a couple CNN shows this weekend that really got to me. The first one was Larry King. It was about Fisher House, which is a house for families of injured soldiers where they can stay while their soldier is in the hospital. Larry interviewed several soldiers, their families and the man whose family started Fisher House. One soldier had lost an arm and also seriously injured a leg. He and his family sat there all smiles (they were on Larry King!) and talked about how wonderful it was to be together while the soldier recuperated. They were all smiley happy. One injured soldier laid in a hospital bed and smiled because his girlfriend had come and they had gotten married in the hospital.

Then Larry asked the Fisher man a question about the war and he said he just didn't want to get into the politics of the war. He just wants to take care of the wounded and their families.

The other show was about a combat hospital in Iraq. It was horrific. Pretty graphic. It is a trauma center where wounded soldiers come right after they are injured. A lot of them die. They also treat Iraqi civilians. There was one especially sad case of a little girl who had been shot in the head and another who was the only survivor in her family after an insurgent attack.

The doctors and nurses in that show also didn't want to get into the politics of the war. They kept saying they were just doing their jobs.

And it struck me that all these people were so calm. The soldier on Larry King had lost his fucking arm and he sat there smiling for Larry while his wife and daughter beamed. The Fisher guy gladly works at making these families comfortable but didn't seem the least bit concerned about WHY these soldiers were dealing with such horrific injuries. The soldier who got married didn't seem the least bit concerned that his wedding was not in a church, but in a hospital.

The doctors and nurses at the combat hospital were more emotional but they still kept insisting they were just doing their jobs.

After I watched these shows, I went down to our regular Sunday protest and was struck by the contrast. There were people standing in the freezing rain who had more passion and seemed much more concerned about this damn war than any of the people I had seen on CNN.

Where is the anger? Where is the outrage? Why do we admire a soldier who loses his fucking arm in an illegal war and beams proudly for Larry King's camera? Why does this Fisher guy go to such great lengths and considerable expense to help take care of injured soldiers and their families yet he doesn't question why the VA isn't providing these services for the soldiers? And he doesn't seem to care WHY they need the help in the first place?

I don't mean to sound unsympathetic. I think what these people are doing to help soldiers is pretty awesome. I just don't understand why they aren't seething with anger over this illegal, unjust war. Until a lot more people get angry, we will still be sending soldiers over to Iraq to get injured and killed.