Sitting across from me was a
beautiful Latina who has served in the military for the last twenty-three
years. A recent mother of sixteen-month-old twins, she is a high-ranking medic,
the highest rank for an enlisted member.
While sitting there watching her
and how proudly she wore this uniform, I stopped to wonder what she and the
other military color guard members there to present “the colors” (meaning the
flag) would think about the time that we set aside last night to Sit for Syria
as a Peace Practice. Does being in the
military mean that you want war? Would I have been offending her to tell her
that we are treating to keep peace so no one else would have to be harmed?
Oh the thoughts that randomly come!
The truth is I don’t want to go to war.
I don’t want to send one more daughter/son, young or old, off to war. We know too much; we are no longer ignorant
or asleep at the wheel. The world knows that we cannot “fight” war. We cannot bomb to save. We cannot resist evil
and expect good. The world is more awake than ever, and we are more cohesive
now than at any time in history due to technology and the
ability to affect change live-time with our smartphones.
I did thank the Major Sergeant for
her service, and she thanked me for my invocation. This felt like a moment of diversity in action:
one who prepares for war embracing one who prays to prevent war.
I am always grateful to have an
opportunity to see through someone else’s eyes. Today was no exception. For the moment, I will keep doing what I do.
I know that she remains safe with her children and quietly appreciate the
service that our military continues to provide until the time comes when they
are all trained to be peacekeepers. Now that’s a liberating thought!
I also oppose the war but support our enlisted men and women.
ReplyDeleteThe irony is that those who enlist are often the same men and women who are neglected by this country's social or economic policies.