Grocery Store Skirmish
You have to love this country. If not for the many freedoms most take for granted, then for the many people who publicly display their indifference to them. (Myself at times, Included) The unrest in the middle east, (which oddly enough still seems to shock people), the War in Iraq, the War on terrorism, and other extreme post 9-11 events have people upset. (duh) And the overall tone of the public appears to be openly against specifically the War in Iraq. (double duh) As was seen in my last visit to the Vons grocery store.
Two middle aged men, one African-American man and one white man, closely guarded the two entrances to the store. Everyone who was walking towards the store with the intent of entering it knew, they would have to get past these two men. And getting past them meant having to listen to their story. I faked being on the phone as I entered the store, thus giving me safe pasage, however upon exiting my hands were taken with holding the bags, thereby rendering me helpless.
"Would you please sign this petition to get a candidate on
the ballot for president who openly is against the war?"
Another anti war person, how original.
With a pleasant smile i responded, "Sorry buddy, you're asking the wrong guy, I am in full support of our current President and our war in Iraq."
Normally this will get you into the clear, because it's obvious he wants signatures and I'm not going to sign. But this man was passionate about what he believed in. Which meant I was going to be late.
"How can you be for an unjust war? How can you condone such actions?"
I got a sympathetic glance from a couple passing around the man, they seemed to acknowledge my sacrifice so they could then live and get to their car faster.
Honestly I was sick of all of the buzzwords and key phrases that this man was throwing at me that a five year old could pick up be watching the 5 o'clock news. It's pure emotion, with little logic at best and plain ignorace at worst. It was like listening to Lebenese Prime minister quabble with Israel.
"1776" I said, "America's war for independance." I could tell I was getting riled up.
"Talk about an unjust war, the actions of the British colonies rebelling against King and Country were unheard of. Talk about an illegal war! Britain was the world power at that time, to go against them was the biggest crime you could commit. So we have one of the planets biggest upheavals and shifts in thinking and it was centered around an unjust war. Imagine if the men and women of the thirteen colonies listened to the people just like you who were against the unjust war. And make no mistake they knew it was wrong, against the law, open rebellion. But thank God they didn't listen to people like you, because if they did we wouldn't be standing here having this conversation now would we?"
Not quite the response he was expecting. So I continued.
"Talk about people not liking the President? Take Abraham Lincoln, the man was despised by even the people who voted for him. The civil war was taking it's toll on the public's morale, and they were sick of it. His resolution to keep fighting what he considered the good fight, (even though half of the country was against him militarily speaking and the other half wanted him out of office.) was commendable to say the least. Just thinking back to men of honor who stood by what was right even when the overwhelming majority disagreed is a breath of fresh air, we don't see much of that today.
So I'm not comparing this war in Iraq to America's war for Independance, but what I am saying is, people like you who are against the war have always been around. This isn't a new idea. Who wakes up in the morning and says, 'hey, you know what, I love the horrors of war, we should always be at war'? War is hell, it's an awful thing, Thank God that there are people who are not only willing to go to war to preotect you and me, but that they do so even with the public against the war they are fighting. Imagine if Lincoln had listened to the people (just like you) who were openly and ultimately violently against his decisions? Would slavery still be legal? Would America be divided?"
::silence::
Two middle aged men, one African-American man and one white man, closely guarded the two entrances to the store. Everyone who was walking towards the store with the intent of entering it knew, they would have to get past these two men. And getting past them meant having to listen to their story. I faked being on the phone as I entered the store, thus giving me safe pasage, however upon exiting my hands were taken with holding the bags, thereby rendering me helpless.
"Would you please sign this petition to get a candidate on
the ballot for president who openly is against the war?"
Another anti war person, how original.
With a pleasant smile i responded, "Sorry buddy, you're asking the wrong guy, I am in full support of our current President and our war in Iraq."
Normally this will get you into the clear, because it's obvious he wants signatures and I'm not going to sign. But this man was passionate about what he believed in. Which meant I was going to be late.
"How can you be for an unjust war? How can you condone such actions?"
I got a sympathetic glance from a couple passing around the man, they seemed to acknowledge my sacrifice so they could then live and get to their car faster.
Honestly I was sick of all of the buzzwords and key phrases that this man was throwing at me that a five year old could pick up be watching the 5 o'clock news. It's pure emotion, with little logic at best and plain ignorace at worst. It was like listening to Lebenese Prime minister quabble with Israel.
"1776" I said, "America's war for independance." I could tell I was getting riled up.
"Talk about an unjust war, the actions of the British colonies rebelling against King and Country were unheard of. Talk about an illegal war! Britain was the world power at that time, to go against them was the biggest crime you could commit. So we have one of the planets biggest upheavals and shifts in thinking and it was centered around an unjust war. Imagine if the men and women of the thirteen colonies listened to the people just like you who were against the unjust war. And make no mistake they knew it was wrong, against the law, open rebellion. But thank God they didn't listen to people like you, because if they did we wouldn't be standing here having this conversation now would we?"
Not quite the response he was expecting. So I continued.
"Talk about people not liking the President? Take Abraham Lincoln, the man was despised by even the people who voted for him. The civil war was taking it's toll on the public's morale, and they were sick of it. His resolution to keep fighting what he considered the good fight, (even though half of the country was against him militarily speaking and the other half wanted him out of office.) was commendable to say the least. Just thinking back to men of honor who stood by what was right even when the overwhelming majority disagreed is a breath of fresh air, we don't see much of that today.
So I'm not comparing this war in Iraq to America's war for Independance, but what I am saying is, people like you who are against the war have always been around. This isn't a new idea. Who wakes up in the morning and says, 'hey, you know what, I love the horrors of war, we should always be at war'? War is hell, it's an awful thing, Thank God that there are people who are not only willing to go to war to preotect you and me, but that they do so even with the public against the war they are fighting. Imagine if Lincoln had listened to the people (just like you) who were openly and ultimately violently against his decisions? Would slavery still be legal? Would America be divided?"
::silence::
posted by duty_to_honor at 5:06 PM
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