Feeding the Masses, Starving our Troops

4.27.07

At our staff meeting today, the receptionist shared a story, that appalled and amazed me. Her son is serving in Iraq and called her at 3am to tell her he was hungry. Apparently, our government only provides our soldiers 1 meal a day. This administration who accuses anyone of questioning the war or its rationale as being traitorous and unsupportive of our troops. This administration who lies to us about its reasons for sending our soldiers into hostile territory and closes its eyes and ears to all questions and criticisms with the response, "shut-up, I'm the decider." It reminds me of pre-school.

How can it be that we under-protect and under-feed our boys and girls as we expose them to the most gruesome wartime injuries ever? How can we continue to vote for these policies without knowing exactly what they are funding? Why do we see only the valient men and women in action and so few of the 100 fold more mentally and physically maimed veterans who return home, broken and now also apparently, underserved by the country they promised to serve? Denying veterans benefits, reducing medical coverage, cutting off promised services are more ways the Bush administration honors our "brave men and women overseas."

When we read about this in the news, do we just shake our heads in dismay and head on off to work? Do we write a check to a veteran's support group and feel better? Do we write our members of congress in protest? Or do we just gloss on over to the more salicious stories about aliented students run amok, 475 pound 9 year olds and the latest celebrity faux pas? What does it take to raise our hackles high enough to act out?

This soldier's mother responded immediatley by boxing up food to send to him and his fellow troops. Then she told family and friends who provided similar support. And then, this mother, this Latina immigrant whose son serves a nation of gringo lawmakers, she took up the tool we all have lying as close as our nearest pencil cup and she wrote her representatives in Congress. And they made something happen. This battalion got more food.

We hear stories about mothers fund-raising for better armor for their children's Hummers, more modern flak jackets, collecting used discarded cell phones so they can keep in touch. It is when it hurts us most at home that we are finally moved out of the barcalounger to take up our swords or pens and fight for what is right.

Is it the mother gene? The female gender? The goddess in all of us that makes us think twice about pulling triggers? Were women to run the world would we have less war and more diplomacy? Would we have universal health and day care and more parks and better schools? Would we network more and climb less? Would we turn this country into a place that grows real food and allows us teh time to nourish ourselves with family over commute time? Would we abolish the draft and instigate mandatory stints in service of our local communities?

I'm not sure we would do a better job at running the joint, but of one thing I am positive. We would not treat our sons and daughters like anonymous miniture missiles to be fired at conjured or convenient enemies. We would truly support and honor them both in teh field and when they return home. These are our babies, who for whatever reasons have chosen to fight for us, risk life and more limbs than ever for our rights to pursue, life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, and the freedom to protest the very policies that put them in harm's way. If they are being asked to serve "at the pleasure" of the president, they deserve to be served 3 squares daily and true hero's welcomes on their return.