May 28, 2007
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Remembering the Fallen, the Maimed, the Orphaned, and the Bereaved
I love my country, but I’m not a patriot, not a fan of the government. I love the planet more than I love this little artificially bordered portion of it. For about forty years, I have been thinking of myself as a citizen of the world. This doesn’t mean I can’t participate in remembering the casualties of war. I have been a casualty of war. My warrior karma has been a persistent theme in this lifetime, hard to transcend and even harder to live with .
France, Poland, Canada, Russia, Greece, Australia, Japan, and I don’t know how many other countries have shrines dedicated to “unknown soldiers,” entombing unidentified remains presumed to have belonged to warriors fighting on their side in one war or another. The first one we know about was in Denmark, in 1858.
In the United States of America today, what with the government having decided that all those images of flag-draped coffins were not good for its public image and our morale, celebrating the fallen might be construed as a mild form of civil disobedience.
I think it is important on this day to remember that those who die in battle are not the least fortunate of all casualties of war. Those who return home maimed and scarred, mentally as well as physically, and those who live out their lives in grief over the fallen, suffer more.
While you are remembering the fallen today, don’t forget the walking wounded, the survivors, widows and orphans. Hug a fatherless child, kiss an old soldier, piss on the flag, picket the Pentagon… oh, hell, forget I said that last part–I got carried away a bit there.
Comments (5)
This is an amazing post. I feel it very strongly today and I like the way you worded some of your “citizen of the world” feelings. Thanks for that. I missed yesterday’s blog, so on to read about the importance of sex. Sex as a physical gender thing and sex as the act of coupling (or oneling or threeling or what have you). My mom told me that a famous doctor recommends that people have at least 200 orgasms a year. I pity those who don’t. Peace.
I didn’t think that you guys used the poppy as an emblem.
Oh thank goodness there is someone out there besides me who loves their country but is not a patriot. The way you put it was just… so good. It definately touched home for me… although I’m stuck here in the middle of this military world- *sigh* I loved this post!
This Memorial Day was especially disheartening knowing that Congress passed the Iraq War Funds Bill. More money going into this war means that more soldiers will be injured or killed by next year’s Memorial Day. Soldiers who are alive today will be but a memory for us by Memorial Day next year.