war is harmful to children and other living things

[primroseburrows]

I usually don't like news stories that are broadcast just for sentiment factor. This one is an exception, because it shows what kids of soldiers are going through.

This story is obviously meant to show a happy homecoming, and it does, but it also shows the trauma the kids have had. I mean, just look at the expression on that little kid's face. Kids that little don't usually cry when they're happy, they cry when they're in pain. I can't even imagine what level of pain these little ones are in, and that's just the kids of the soldiers who come home outside of a box.

*screams at Dubya* See that, you cretin? THIS is what you're doing to American kids (and Iraqi kids, but that's a whole new level of tragedy). Honestly, how do you sleep?

Comments

[patchfire.livejournal.com]

I keep thinking that that's a horrible thing to do to a six-year-old, to surprise him or her at school with something of that magnitude. I don't know, I'm just thinking of how Gillian would react in a similar situation and she'd do the same thing, just absolutely fall apart, and I can't imagine many six yos that WOULD handle it well.

Not that I don't still hate the idiot in chief, but the boy's parents should have *thought* first.

[songdogmi.livejournal.com]

Dubya doesn't sleep. The undead need no sleep.

[ruthless1.livejournal.com]

Satan doesn't sleep does he? I don't even believe in the devil but I think Bush and co. is a manifestation of something so sinister and evil that the only word I can come up with is 'the devil'. Although I don't want to insult the devil.
sigh.
I am growing more and more concerned about the people who are returning from duty there. Services are at such a low for them. And there is going to be some serious PTSD to deal with. I am praying to whoever/whatever will listen that we can find a place for them again in our society.
*kicks dubya in the head*

[lupin-spirit.livejournal.com]

I knew I shouldn't watch that...

I didn't tell my kids that their father was coming home (on leave or at end) until we were on the way to the airport to get him. Things get fouled up way to often and there was no way I was going to put them through the agony a change of plans would have caused.

As it was I got flack from their schools for keeping them home the rest of the week. (Wed/Thur/Fri) Keep a normal schedule, my ass. For the first two days Fox couldn't hardly bring himself go to the bathroom if it meant having to leave the room his father was in and Ivy: she wouldn't leave Devon's lap for anything.


I had an absolutely awful epiphany a couple days ago.

I have this vision/memory of Ivy as the carefree, grinning, confident, fearless and outgoing two-year-old she was prior to Devon's deployment. In my heart that's who she is, not the meek, solemn, cautious child she is now. I think I need to let that go. She has not been that child for almost 4 years and she never will be again.

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

I agree, but I bet that it would have been similar anywhere. Maybe his mother shouldn't have surprised him at all, anywhere.

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

For the first two days Fox couldn't hardly bring himself go to the bathroom if it meant having to leave the room his father was in and Ivy: she wouldn't leave Devon's lap for anything.

Kids aren't stupid. I don't think for a minute they're not aware not only that their dad/mom is away for an indefinite period, but that there's a very real chance they might not come back.

*hugs*

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

I was a little girl during Vietnam, but I remember the vets coming home and having nothing. It's a little better, now, but gods, it's still awful.

[ruthless1.livejournal.com]

I am trying to decide if I am brave enough to volunteer with them or not. I just don't know if I could handle it. I've worked with spinal chord and head injured people in the past but never returning military. Some of the patients were vets but that's not how they got hurt. And - that was a LONG time ago.
Hey - did moosesal find you at MJ? I sent her with a hug for you! It sounds like it was a wee bit wild eh? Not the hug I sent - the whole weekend! hee!

[ruthless1.livejournal.com]

That just gave me goosebumps and made me very sad. I send good vibes your way for all of you.

[topaz7.livejournal.com]

I saw that a few days ago, started crying, turned off the computer and walked away.

Who are the fuckwits who thought it'd be cool to put this on the telly? Watching the boy's face made me completely fall apart.

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

Hey - did moosesal find you at MJ? I sent her with a hug for you! It sounds like it was a wee bit wild eh? Not the hug I sent - the whole weekend! hee!

She did! *hugs back* I didn't do a lot of the wildness, but I did get to hang out with some lovely people (omphale23 and sailorscully being just two of them), and also perform my Sacred Duty (pimping S&A to everyone who draws breath).

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

I basically posted it for the OMGWTF DUBYA? factor. It's a happy reunion, but wtf in a school? With cameras? :/

There's no way that boy was crying with happiness. It was relief, yeah, but he was Upset.

And y'know, as much as I hate, hate war, if it were a war that actually made some kind of sense, I wouldn't feel quite as bad (although I think WW2 is the last one that had any reasonable, erm. Reason). If we were, oh, I dunno, actually LOOKING FOR BIN LADEN? I could understand that. Sort of. I just hate it all. Ick.

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

Now I'm crying too.

But I agree with the comments--I think this was too much to spring on a six year old. It really didn't need an audience. I don't know how I would have reacted to it at that age. I wonder if he even understands that his father is home home. As the above poster said, sometimes when the parents come home the kid doesn't want to even leave the room the parent is in. It's going to take him a while to be able to believe he's really back.

I also think the poster above had a good approach in not telling the kids Dad was coming home until it almost was a reality. This is just so much to handle even when it's a good thing.

And yes, I think it would help if the whole thing didn't have such an unfortunate context, thank you, W.

[topaz7.livejournal.com]

Oh, that must be so sad for you (and her, of course). I hope she will be the happy , confident child again. I really do.

[topaz7.livejournal.com]

Yeah, a war to prevent a mushroom cloud, liberate the grateful Iraqis, make Halliburton rich at the expense of hundreds of thousands of lives is hard to get behind. And still, it's all kind of unreal until you see something like that little boy and imagine what his face would look like if his mom told him daddy wasn't coming home.

Sorry. I've been reading Noam Chomsky for the first time, and it's depressing me.

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

Sorry. I've been reading Noam Chomsky for the first time, and it's depressing me.

Have you read Howard Zinn?

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

The whole thing is wrong on a lot of levels. :/

[topaz7.livejournal.com]

Nope. Should I? Or should I wait until Chomsky's effect wears off?

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

I dunno. I haven't read much Chomsky (shame on me!).A Peoples' History of the United States is his best-known work. I recommend it highly. Here's a list of his online works, and this is his website.

I had the opportunity to hear him speak a couple of years back. He's going to be in Newport, RI this month (which I just found out, go you for asking about him!). I'll be there if I can, because he's a great speaker. When you go see Howard Zinn, you take notes because you want to remember everything. I used to have a HZ icon, even. *g* Yes, I'm a Howard Zinn fangirl. \0/

[lupin-spirit.livejournal.com]

It's not that she isn't confident, she is, it's just a more mature confidence. Instead of the invincible confidence of childhood that leads you to believe you can do anything, she stands back and watches and plans and then carefully goes about doing whatever the task is.

And it's not that she isn't a happy child, it's different, though. There is a carefree innocent happiness that only children seem to possess. She is more serious now and seems to know that happiness is transitory.

We expect that at some point between childhood and adulthood these things will happen. That confidence will be founded in skill and experience rather that ill placed (and potentially dangerous) feelings of invincibility.

And all children eventually loose the innocence that allows them to expect only happy things from life... It just breaks my heart that she was a toddler when she had to learn that life can be hard and that parents aren't all powerful and that there are things they can't fix. She deserved better.

[briary-flower.livejournal.com]

There's a medical condition, the name escapes me, where people believe their lives don't have value (or are not real), unless they are on TV.

[topaz7.livejournal.com]

*puts Howard Zinn on reading list*

I will watch for his appearances here. You never know. We get speakers from across the border quite often.

Chomsky has a way of making everything seem clear, and completely hopeless at the same time. I'm reading Hegemony or Survival.

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

Dude. You guys got Howard Dean as keynote for the Liberal leadership convention, which I've never quite figured out, although I have my usual Stupid American Opinions.

[deafscribe.livejournal.com]

I'm with you on the sense of fury toward Dubya and his posse, but I don't believe seeing this video would affect him at all. I don't think the man has a conscience - has anyone seen ANY evidence he does? He, and the people who prop him up, are capable of justifying anything to themselves in support of their warped world view.

Maybe this video was intended as an anti-war message. Maybe not. But it definitely shows us just a small part of what the families of soldiers have to deal with.