In Solemn Remembrance

Eighty-eight years ago today, on November 11, 1918, World War I finally ended. Of course it wasn't called that at the time; it was called The Great War. How could anyone have known that it was to be the first of a series? Who could have guessed that barely twenty years would pass before the beginning of the next one?

The day when peace finally arrived was given the name Armistice Day. Thereafter, it was commemorated every year with solemn ceremonies and sacred vows of "Never Again".

In many English-speaking countries, November 11th is now called Remembrance Day, and it's still commemorated every year with solemn ceremonies and sacred vows.

But in the USA, November 11th is now called Veterans Day, and nowadays its primary function is to glorify the murderers and fools who put more stock in shameless and transparent propaganda than in their own consciences; who cared more for obvious lies than they did for humanity; who claimed to be Christians but somehow managed to ignore all the most important Commandments; and who now suffer the inevitable consequences.

And in the meantime the so-called anti-war movement ignores the most obvious truth -- that if people stopped joining the military, there would be no more war.

Just once in my life I would like to hear the following conversation:

Do you support the war?

No. I do not support the killing of innocent people for any reason.

Do you at least support the troops?

No. I condemn killers-for-hire no matter who hired them.

Just once!

But no! Instead people say "We do not support the war, but we support the troops."

As if that made any sense at all.

You want to know why government treats us as if we were fools? It's because we are, for the most part.

We might as well say "I hate plumbing but I support the plumbers."

If we can't even obtain that much clarity in our own minds, how can we expect anything better for our kids? And speaking of our kids ...

How many times have you heard a distraught mother say: "I gave them my sweet little boy and they turned him into a monster!"

Just once I would like to hear the response: "Well of course they did. What did you think, you were sending him to finishing school?"

Officially, there are nearly 3000 Americans dead from a nasty little war of choice, started by a nasty little president. Unofficially I keep hearing whispers that perhaps the total is more like 20,000. Our government admits there are something like 30,000 Iraqis dead from the same cause. But reliable reports indicate the number is more like 600,000.

This is just from one short war, among many. All over the world, throughout many decades, the USA has inflicted similar suffering in countless countries. For what?

In solemn remembrance of 1918, it is time to open our eyes to the simple fact that this has been America's most important "contribution" to world civilization: Death and destruction, murder and mayhem, and more grief than anyone can possibly imagine.

When will it end? When will our sweet little boys stop signing up to become monsters?

Mothers, don't let your babies grow up to be soldiers.