Memorial Day.

Every Sunday morning I watch "This Week With Geroge Stephanopoulos". Toward the end of show there is a segment called In Memoriam where they do a quick profiles of people of note who have died in the past week then they list the names of all the US soldiers and marines who have died in Iraq. Every time I see this I tear up. I try not to, I know it's coming but i don't change the channel. I watch. Some were career military men. But most of them were just kids. I see the names and ages of KIDS who were trying to go to college, who were trying to make a better life for themselves, who were trying to serve their country, who maybe just wanted to blow stuff up. They were barely out of high school.
This Memorial Day while you taking advantage of the extra day off of work, maybe taking advantage of a sale, remember why you are getting the day off. Take a moment to think about the kids that getting killed so you can put gas in your cars.

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I wrote this at the pub last night:

There is a Hummer H2 in the parking lot. If I were 10 years younger I would have climbed up on the hood and written the word "PIG" across the windshield with my silver paint sharpie. Because to me the "HUMMER" is the penultimate example of excess.
Mr. Hummer Driver I HATE YOU! How many American boys died today so you can drive that thing? How many Iraqi children lost their limbs so you can go to the pub, listen to shitty music, and chat up lounge lizards?
How many?
Does it make you feel good?
Powerful?
Better than everyone?
I want to know.

While you count your money,
While you watch your Haliburton stock rise can you look a soldier's mother in the eyes and tell her that her son died for a good cause?
While you claim to love GOD
While you claim to love America.
Swill your martini,
Smile smugly
And praise the LORD that you are still breathing.