This Is What I Know
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An Old Hippie ... SPEAKS
March 20, 2005
Yesterday my dear friend went to Oklahoma City, where there was a ‘war protest’ march.
Last April, I went with her -- to the site of the Oklahoma City bombing. It was a much different march than this one, yesterday. (I have written about it. It was very cool.)
BUT...
Yesterday my dear friend was...
Insulted
Whispered at
Frowned at
Treated as a lower life form
Yesterday, another friend of mine was...
Insulted
Whispered at
Frowned at .... and
A picture of him was taken, and posted on a website without his permission, complete with disparaging remarks. Not only without his permission, but in DIRECT OPPOSITE OF HIS DIRECTION NOT TO POST. (I am in control of my own image --so are you -- yes, or no? YES!!! At least, in America, we are!)
My dear friend called me, certainly in time for me to go with her, only I was having a lazy Saturday, and I didn’t go.
I should have been there. Here is what I would have said -- this old hippie -- over and over again... to the organizers of that gathering:
Okay, tiiimmmme the f### out!!!!
I can’t leave you people alone for a minute, can I?
If you walk, for or against anything, anytime -- have the grace to hear the slosh.
If you feel against any war, anytime -- have the grace to know that ALL the mommas are against war, ANYWHERE. Sometimes war is necessary, but talk to your elected representatives about that. Do that NOW!!!
If you walk, in protest, of war, or anything else, remember why you can walk, and where you are, and who died so you could walk.
Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines. Those are the guys and gals that have made your walk possible!!! So at least be polite! Respectful and grateful may come with time, but AT LEAST be polite!
You walk in the blood of angels, sweetie. Quite whether you like that idea, or not. It doesn’t matter what you like or don’t like about it -- it’s still true.
And these are not new Angels. These Angels died, so you could walk, in 1776. In 1926. In 1942. And yes, in 1970, in Ohio.
You get a voice. Always, every time. This is America!!!! What you don’t get, is the ‘right’ to insult, chastise, frown at or attempt to intimidate anybody else in America. EVER. Just because they are walking where you are walking, and they have a different opinion than yours. (Or a different religion, or a different creed -- WHERE ARE YOU!?!?!!???)
If you claim to welcome diversity, then do it. Don’t claim it. Just DO it. Without attack. Without intimidation attempts. Without physical threat. Either welcome diversity, welcome the different voices, or SHUT UP.
I say this, not in my son’s name. (USMC)
I say it in my father’s name. (Pilot USAF, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star et al -- there are oak leaf clusters in there somewhere, but I don’t know where they go.)
If you don’t know the history of your own country well enough to know that you slosh when you walk, then go read. Your local library has a great plethora of information for you, about Boston, and Gettysberg, and Omaha Beach, and DaNang. So does the Internet.
If you don’t know why it is that this old hippie is YELLING at you, then go read. (You think you invented this stuff, sweetie? This protest stuff? Nah! Not even CLOSE! My generation changed the face of this country, FOREVER.) And forever I will stand for the right to speak, and the right to be heard. ALWAYS. EVERY TIME.
I will stand, or I will walk, or I will die, for it. (Is there anything at all that you know you would DIE for? No? Then, SHUT UP.)
If you are going to tell me, or any of my friends, that “if the draft is re-instated, I will take my sons to Canada” then know this:
First, please don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out,
and second, I don’t know anybody who wants the draft back. Contact your elected officials and tell them to vote NO should ever they be faced with a bill that would reinstate the draft,
and third...
Canada doesn’t want you. They remember VietNam, too, and they’ve changed their rules. Pick another place to run, but run sweetie, because if you can’t let the people around you express an opinion different than yours, and if you can’t do that in an American way (with respect for the diversity that is US), then, frankly, we don’t want you.
Or your sons.
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