What is It Good For?

For a country at war, no news is good news. The same is true for families in which there's a son, daughter, wife, husband, brother, sister at war. Unfortunately, for six more American families on Monday, heart-breaking news came.

This Press Association article cites a Multi-National Force director's statement and an Associated Press tally of American deaths. This year has been the deadliest year for Americans since Bush started the war in 2003; and we're only 10 full months in.

I wrote this blog post a few months ago about the war and have pretty much blocked the war out of my mind and conversation since. The problems for Iraq and for the U.S. presence in Iraq are only worsening.

My beefs with the President are intensifying. Not only has Bush moved pivotal positions and departments to the political right as well as ravaged crucial domestic programs, but he has kept up this lying, filthy, dead-end war. I support the troops as individuals but I refuse to support the war that our government has sent them to fight. For more info on how to support a member and members of the military objecting to the occupation of Iraq, visit http://www.thankyoult.org/.

-------breath--------

Quick story from my week:

On Monday night I felt for a moment that I was living in a neighborhood which may resemble Baghdad and other war-torn areas. I was washing dishes in the kitchen when I first hear a helicopter overhead. I think, 'nothing new; helicopters are always flying around this neighborhood, overstaying their welcome and the usual time it takes things to fly overhead.'

A few minutes later, when I leave the house and head for the bus (bowling night, up Vermont), the helicopter is still there. Its circling with its floodlight pointed at either the block south of me or a house in between my street and the next. The hum and chop of the helicopter keep up as the chopper flies in circles, keeping its lamp on basically the same spot at the end of my street.

And that's basically where I'm headed... a little frightening. But, my neighbors are acting like I imagine most people would act in places that have incidences of violence, harrassment, and chaos... they're going about their business. One guy is working on his car. A couple women are standing against the wall of the grocery store just chatting. I didn't see people running, hear anyone screaming, or feel the electricity some scary events generate locally.

Once I got to Broadway I look south and, sure enough, the copter's floodlight is focused on a spot a couple hundred yards away. A white Camry is stopped with all its doors open; and its surrounded by police cruisers, more of which arrive over the next few minutes.

I saw a few dudes sitting on the sidewalk, cuffed, leaning up against the wall of the 99 cent store I shop at. The whole scene is lit up by the bright lights from the cruisers and chopper. Likely, the chopper followed the car to where it was (if it were a chase, that would be the second chase to end in my neighborhood in the last week) and the cruiser cops pulled the accused out of the car and put them on the sidewalk. Traffic's partially stopped but pedestrians have barely noticed.

Phew...

I wonder how likely we are to see a peaceful 2008 (like that Facebook group I'm in).