Friday, August 24, 2012

STREETSBORO, USA

STREETSBORO, USA

I took a trip up to Streetsboro, Ohio – a suburb of Cleveland – recently to appear with my new friends the Womack Family Band at Honky Tonk House Concerts (they're great, by the way).
I always enjoy these solitary drives. They permit me to talk to myself.   Much as I'm doing here, I'm sure.
One thing I noticed since last trip up was the new proliferation of signs dedicating aging bridges and stretches of deteriorating highways to local heroes fallen in this continuing war-of-choice in Afghanistan and Iraq. It seems like every piece of crumbling infrastructure is dedicated to someone's child's dream of serving their country.
I have no zinger here for this story. Only a question: is the lost life of even one American kid justifiable to pursue the hegemonic fantasies of old men?
Reinstate the draft. Put everybody's kid in harm's way.
it's always the old who lead us into War, always the young who fall”
                                                                                               ----Phil Ochs

3 comments:

  1. We could, as Dennis Kucinich has suggested, begin with creating a Department of Peace.

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  2. I used to think that draft deal would put the fear of providence in them, but seems there's more to it than that . . . to follow, first, ok the draft and women too, equally, without prejudice, that would instantly double the trouble . . . but in the end, it's going backwards. Pretty soon those crafty lizard predators are gonna break out of the pen . . . At least on paper, making it an unprofitable venture will limit it somewhat, then at least the psychopaths will stick out more, and easier to pick off . . . jess saying

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