It has occurred to me that unless the law in this country is changed, my daughter will never be drafted. And this is of no small comfort to me.
It seems there is no action so despicable it cannot be encouraged by one religion or another. And it seems the wars of the future will be just like the wars of the past: fought over religion, ideology, or territory, or all three.
To be honest, I am a committed pacifist. This does not in any way diminish my gratitude and awe for those who dedicate their lives to their country. On the contrary, they have dared and sacrificed beyond what I can imagine.
I know a woman flying Blackhawks in South Korea. Husbands of friends of mine are at work rescuing and rebuilding in Haiti. Brothers of friends of mine were killed in Iraq. War and disaster end up touching all of us in this world that gets smaller every day.
Because I have a daughter, there is a chance that she will enlist someday, over my loud protests. Her life will be hers to give, and I can honestly say I hope to God she will not. But if she does, I will be as proud of her as it is humanly possible to be. And I will take up prayer as a full-time occupation.
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| My grandmother who served in the army corps of nurses |
I love the photo of your grandmother-what a beauty! And I know what you mean--my husband often jokes about Sammy going to West Point and I inwardly cringe...but I have to remember that ultimately it will be Sammy's decision, not mine, and that I'll support him no matter how I feel about it.
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