Cassandra calls it The War Against Ignorance. Here's the experience of a mother on the frontlines:
As I waited to pay for my soda, I heard the clerk say something about Iraq. Being the mother of two Marines who served in Iraq, my ears immediately tuned in just in time to hear the customer say "Marines!" He made a disgusted noise and continued, "Of course they're guilty! Why should we bother wasting our tax money on a trial for any of those murderers? They've been killing babies since Vietnam. They need to fry them right now and just disband the Marines! They're violent - Neanderthals dressed up in uniforms. If they were intelligent, they'd be in college, or have real jobs - not out slaughtering innocent people for fun. The whole military is full of nothing but animals. They're occupiers, fighting an illegal war, anyway."
...I'm sorry, frankly, that I didn't punch the son of a bitch. That would have been more natural. After all, my sons are "Neanderthals in uniform". They must get it from me.
Instead, here's how she responded. I have to say that I probably would've said much the same, though I wouldn't have felt sorry for him a bit at that moment. And I probably would've clawed his eyes out or slapped him--not because I would enjoy it or out of a sense of honor, but because I would've been so upset I'd soon have run out of words to express the intensity of my fury and disgust.
And Lori, I wish you were here. I would give you a huge hug and take you out for chocolate ice cream for being so brave and articulate in the middle of such anger and pain. You were awesome!
