"I've seen you out here," said a 35 ish man as he rode up, parked his bike and joined the vigil.
This 5ft. 10 inch, 160 lb. athlete had been riding intensely and the beads of sweat rolled off his forehead and arms in a torrent, hitting the sidewalk with a steady stream of drops. His black hair was matted against his head and his white t-shirt was soaked.
He had to catch his breath to speak. "Do you have a son or daughter there [in Iraq]," he asked.
"I don't. But I feel a connection with every soldier and every Iraqi there. I've listened to mothers who have lost their children there and listened to Iraqis and Iranians who've stopped by the vigil.
"The media gives these people very little coverage and I don't want them to be forgotten," I added, motioning to the sign.
"I listen to National Public Radio," he replied. "They talk about the soldiers in Iraq.
"We should never have gone in there," he remarked as his eyes narrowed and his teeth clenched. "That was on Bush's agenda. But now that we're there, we've got to see it through."
"Not really," I responded. "If Barack Obama would return to his campaign pledge it would end the war. "How," he asked.
"By using the approach that ends most wars," I stated. "Call for a cease fire and invite all of the combatants in ..."
"And negotiate a peace treaty," he said, as he finished my sentence. "That would work," he added as he pondered the option.
"When you're out here and I drive by," he added. "Look for my pickup truck and listen to the toot of the horn. I'll be supporting you."
Soon after he left a 63 year old Haitian man who often joins the vigil did so briefly last night.
"You're still out here!" boomed the amazed voice of a 47 year old muscular man as he walked up, with 10 minutes left in the vigil. "It's been a year at least or even two years since we last talked."
This man, with military style close cropped hair, black with streaks of gray, stands 5ft. 10in. and weighs 180 lbs. He walks with the cock sure attitude of a veteran Marine, which he was for 12 years. He's long been a pilot for U.S. Air and was on layover in Los Angeles.
"Iraq is a joke," he stated, his voice ringing in sarcasm. "But not a funny one," I replied. "Over a million Iraqis have been killed and 4,314 American soldiers as well. It's devastating!"
So began an intense conversation which extended the vigil an extra half hour, ending only when Anne called, concerned because I had not returned home.
This well read, ex-military man discussed the Afghan war at length. Though he supports it because he believes in the war on terror, he expressed his concern that when Russia went to war there [1979-89], it bankrupted them.
He also believes Americans "are sick of war." But he feels "we should re-institute the draft," so that a broad cross section of America would have to get involved, unlike now when so few do and therefore it's easy to start and continue wars when not many U.S. families feel its burden and heartache.
It was nice to see him again. And while we spoke, our conversation was regularly interrupted by drivers honking their horns in support, right to the very end of the vigil.
Dick
No comments:
Post a Comment