A LESSON TO MY SON BY A PROUD AMERICAN; A GOOD ANSWER FOR "WHY IS THE WAR GOING ON?"

MERI BURLINGAME AP LIST ^ | 5 APRIL 2003 | IRMA S CHAMBERS VIA THE FUNKS AND MERI

[Quix]

Meri Burlingame

Apr 5, 2003

thanks Sue and John Funk for this post.......there are many issues involved in this war.....and I don't send this as an "exclusive" reason.....so if you see things from other perspectives this doesn't necessarily rule out the validity of your point of view. Meri -----

Original Message ----- From: "john & sue funk" Sent:

Saturday, April 05, 2003 1:27 PM

Subject: a good answer for why is the war going on

A LESSON TO MY SON

By A PROUD AMERICAN

Irma S. Chambers

The other day, my nine year old son wanted to know why we were at war. My husband looked at our son and then looked at me. My husband and I were in the Army during the Gulf War and we would be honored to serve and defend our country again today. I knew that my husband would give him a good explanation.

My husband thought for a few minutes and then told my son to go stand in our front living room window. He told him:

"Son, stand there and tell me what you see?"

"I see trees and cars and our neighbors houses." he replied.

"OK, now I want you to pretend that our house and our yard is the United States of America and you are President Bush."

Our son giggled and said "OK."

"Now son, I want you to look out the window and pretend that every house and yard on this block is a different country." my husband said.

"OK Dad, I'm pretending."

"Now I want you to stand there and look out the window and see that man come out of his house with his wife and he has her by the hair and is hitting her. You see her bleeding and crying. He hits her in the face, he throws her on the ground, then he starts to kick her to death. Their children run out and are afraid to stop him, they are crying, they are watching this but do nothing because they are kids and afraid of their father. You see all of this son....what do you do?"

"Dad?"

"What do you don son?!"

"I call the police, Dad."

"OK. Pretend that the police are the United Nations and they take your call, listen to what you know and saw but they refuse to help.

What do you do then son?!"

"Dad, but the police are supposed to help!" My son starts to whine.

"They don't want to son, because they say that it is not their place or your place to get involved and that you should stay out of it," my husband says.

"But Dad...he killed her!!" my son exclaims.

"I know he did...but the police tell you to stay out of it. Now I want you to look out that window and pretend you see our neighbor who you're pretending is Saddam turn around and do the same thing to his children."

"Daddy...he kills them?"

"Yes son, he does. What do you do?"

"Well, if the police don't want to help, I will go and ask my next door neighbor to help me stop him." our son says. "Son, our next door neighbor sees what is happening and refuses to get involved as well. He refuses to open the door and help you stop him," my husband says.

"But Dad, I NEED help!!! I can't stop him by myself!!"

"WHAT DO YOU DO SON?"

Our son starts to cry.

"OK, no one wants to help you, the man across the street saw you ask for help and saw that no one would help you stop him. He stands taller and puffs out his chest. Guess what he does next son?"

"What Daddy?"

"He walks across the street to the old ladies house and breaks down her door and drags her out, steals all her stuff and sets her house on fire and then...he kills her. He turns around and sees you standing in he window and laughs at you. WHAT DO YOU DO?!!!"

"Daddy..."

"WHAT DO YOU DO?!!!"

Our son is crying and he looks down and he whispers, "I close the blinds, Daddy."

My husband looks at our son with tears in his eyes and asks him...

"Why?"

"Because Daddy.....the police are supposed to help...people who need it....and they won't help....You always say that neighbors are supposed to HELP neighbors, but they won't help either...they won't help me stop him...I'm afraid....I can't do it by myself...Daddy.....I can't look out my window and just watch him do all these terrible things and...and.....do nothing...so....I'm just going to close the blinds....so I can't see what he's doing........and I'm going to pretend that it is not happening."

I start to cry.

My husband looks at our nine year old son standing in the window, looking pitiful and ashamed at his answers to my husbands questions and he tells him....

"Son"

"Yes, Daddy."

"Open the blinds because that man....he's at your front door..."WHAT DO YOU DO?!!!!"

My son looks at his father, anger and defiance in his eyes. He balls up this tiny fists and looks his father square in the eyes,without hesitation he says: "I DEFEND MY FAMILY DAD!! I'M NOT GONNA LET HIM HURT MOMMY OR MY SISTER, DAD!!! I'M GONNA FIGHT HIM, DAD, I'M GONNA FIGHT HIM!!!!!"

I see a tear roll down my husband's cheek and he grabs my son to his chest and hugs him tight, and cries...

"It's too late to fight him, he's too strong and he's already at YOUR front door son.....you should have stopped him BEFORE he killed his wife. You have to do what's right, even if you have to do it alone, before......it's too late." my husband whispers.

THAT scenario I just gave you is WHY we are at war with Iraq. When good men stand by and let evil happen is the greatest EVIL of all.

Our President is doing what is right. We, as a free nation, must understand that this war is a war of humanity. WE must remove this evil man from power so that we can continue to live in a free world where we are not afraid to look out our window and see crimes on humanity. So that my nine year old son won't grow up in a world where he feels that if he just "closes" that blinds the atrocities in the world won't affect him.

Today the second day of "WAR on IRAQ" I felt compelled to write this and pass it along. Hopefully, you will understand the lesson my husband tried to teach our son.

"YOU MUST NEVER BE AFRAID TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT! EVEN IF YOU HAVE TO DO IT ALONE!"

BE PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN! BE PROUD OF OUR PRESIDENT! BE PROUD OF OUR TROOPS!! SUPPORT THEM!!! SUPPORT AMERICA!! SO THAT IN THE FUTURE OUR CHILDREN WILL NEVER HAVE TO CLOSE THEIR BLINDS...."

[Quix]

THIS IS A MOVING NARRATIVE, TO ME.

I think it's a very practical one.

Easy to join in the tears.

[Quix]

PING

JUST BECAUSE I thought you precious folk would be touched and interested.

[OldFriend]

In order for evil to prevail it takes good men doing nothing. (similar to the story about doing nothing because they weren't coming for me.....then they came for me and no one was left to help.

[Quix]

THOUGHT YOU

might enjoy this.

LUB,

[Quix]

AGREE,

THAT'S A FAVORITE QUOTE OF MY BY HOW IS IT SPELLED--NEIGHBUR SP?

Anyway--this sure made it vivid for one 9 year old!

[StoneColdTaxHater]

damn, I'm crying now.

[OldFriend]

We cannot begin early enough to teach our children to speak up and/or act when they encounter injustice. The tendency is for most adults to pretend not to see problems that require action. This sends a terrible message to our children.

[rebel85]

bump

[Quix]

EASY TO DO with that one, IMHO.

I loved it. Had to share it.

I love making things practical and deeply comprehensible for youth. They are bright and certainly in this rapidly changing globe NEED prepared!

I don't think there's going to be much childhood for this era's children.

My Chinese students often thought I was wild eyed and crazy when I would answer some probing question in an intense way about the times we are in. But others, more thoughtful, perceptive and well read would note that they felt the same way.

[Do the Dew]

PING

[Quix]

STRONGLY AGREE.

I'm even more radical.

I know, what a shock.

I believe children old enough to understand need to be taught to hear God well and reliably. They need to be taught to follow God regardless. They need to be taught that them and God can survive anything.

Then they need to be talked to and led through various scenarios likely to occur in the future . . . somewhat like a though experiment boot camp.

And always taking their fears to God who has Peace that passes understanding.

AND MOST OF ALL, LIKE YOU ASSERT--THEY NEED TO ****SEE**** THEIR PARENTS BEHAVING SIMILARLY--TRUSTING GOD FOR EVERYTHING AND INCLUDING GOD IN THE DAY'S DECISIONS AND PARTICULARLY KEY DECISION POINTS.

Children need prepared. Thank God for their angels. But they need prepared in their thinking, their reflexes, their attitudes--and especially to hide the Word in their hearts and keep THAT BLESSED HOPE in focus regardless of the darkness around them.

Being wise as serpents and harmless as doves in the process.

IMHO.

THANKS FOR YOUR IMPORTANT POINTS.

[Quix]

THANKS MUCH.

[Gamecock]

Bump and Bookmark and grab a tissue

[lizma]

We cannot begin early enough to teach our children to speak up and/or act when they encounter injustice

I read this to my son tonight, he looked at me and said "Oh mom, my bats aren't just for baseball."

Teach your children "do unto others." But let them know that this applies to not only the good but also the evil.

[Quix]

Wellsaid.

And what wisdom for the father to take it to that point. Very hard to do.

But what a lesson for the son. What a priceless lesson.

May more fathers like that stand up to the plate.

May more fathers stand up and LEARN to be like that!

And where the fathers are gone, screwing around and generally abdicating their responsibilities . . .

may the mothers have the grit to fill in--in yet another desperately needed role.

[Quix]

WOW!

IMPRESSIVE.

I'm curious--when he said his bats were not just for baseball--was that a sudden realization or something he'd already realized/decided on?

[gidgetgirl3]

Great example for a child to learn from. My son wrote a letter to Saddam, which I have decided to incorporate to my sign for the rally next weekend. It states

Sadman,
We dont like your beehavyr! I hope your in jail!

His teacher called me on that one. Says he's a old soul in a little body. I say he justs knows the difference between good and bad.Even a 6 year old boy knows where the evil man should be. Now we just have to get him there!

[hoosiermama]

Thanks for the ping! Excellant read.

[Quix]

IMPRESSIVE

THANKS FOR SHARING THAT!

What a son.

Therefore, what parents!

Congrats. PLEASE! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!

[Quix]

U R MORE THAN WELCOME.

WAS HUMBLED AND HONORED to be able to share it.

THANKS for your kind reply.