"It is fine to disagree with Bush and hate the war. It is another to blame the soliders and cut them down. It is akin to people spitting on soldiers during the Vietnam war. Disgusting."
Hi Tinkerbelle, I agree. But I don't see anyone here cutting down the soldiers. My post certainly didn't blame the soldiers. I guess this is addressed to TrueBlue. However, I don't think that we can say the soldiers are blameless altogether, either. That is like saying they have no free will, they are mere puppets. I think that's pretty disrespectful too. Yes, many join needing job training or money for college etc., and that points to a lot of larger social issues. Young men and women joining the military do often do this becasue they perceive few other reasonable options, and that is a terrible situation, and one they are certainly far from responsible for, as individuals.
Yet one makes these decisions understanding that the cost may be having to fight, on orders from the president and the government. Presumably, one is willing to fight if told to fight. This is a decision a person makes that they need to take responsibility for. If a soldier believes our war in Iraq is the right thing to do, I disagree, but I can respect that view. I don't agree that they are not responsible in any way for the war - of course they are, they are fighting it. I also know that many join without being able to fully comprehend what may be involved in actual combat - and for that I feel deep sympathy. I'm sure I cannot imagine myself what combat is like. Again, though, the only way I can reasonably see to be "supportive" in that regard is that I can advocate for them to be brought home as soon as possible. I don't see yellow ribbons on cars, "Support the troops" bumper stickers, prayers sessions at school or church, as making that any more likely to happen - if anything it has the opposite effect. I believe it serves to make people less, not more, ready to protest the fact that they/we are there in the first place. It is cheerleading the war.
These actions, in my view, mean people are de-sensitized to what is going on over there - more able to accept that it is happening even if they don't like it.
You wrote:
"I want the soldiers home too. But, I fail to see why praying for them is so bad"
I didn't say, and don't feel, "praying for them is bad." I do object to trying to involve children in this, who can't understand the situation. I think that is self-serving on the part of adults.
Also note I am not saying the school has no right to do this. It is a Catholic school, right? They have every right to ask students to pray. I am simply explaining why projects like that in school don't sit right with me personally.
"or how it makes it "okay" for them to be there. "
Well, I think I spelled that out. It makes it a little more "okay" because it gives people some way to ease their conscience about it. It makes you feel like you're "doing something," even when, in my view, you're not. Of course, this is a question of religious belief. Those who believe that they can influence the war this way will feel differently.
"I also do not think asking children to pray for someone is a bad thing either. I mean this is a religious school. I remember being in Catholic school and praying for all kinds of people. Even the man who shot Pope John Paul, when I was in 8th grade."
Well, like I said, yes it's a religious school and they can and will ask the children to pray.
My point is that there are politics involved, and you're involving the children in them in ways that aren't necessarily thought through, and in which it isn't necessarily even right to manipulate children.
I would be a little more comfortable if the prayer were simply for peace, for an end to fighting, or if the prayer were for the Iraqi soldiers as well as the American soldiers, or for Iraqi civilians as well. "Pray for our soldiers" I feel is a pro-war, conservative mantra. It helps Bush keep getting away with it.
Althea
