[GCFL-discuss] War

[gcfl-discuss at gcfl.net]

You are right ...we need to not forget our troops.
The children of our church just finished collecting small stuffed animals 
that have a mission in Iraq.
They will be sent to the troops that have to inspect cars with little 
children in them , who are often scared when the see a fully armed soldier 
coming at their car.  The stuffed animals are "good will" ambassadors. 
These same girls also collected personal care items that were sent to the 
troops as little care packages.

I know there are others doing these small things that can mean a lot to the 
troops.  We can all pray for their safety.  That may be the most important 
thing we can do.
Carla
______________________________________________________________

>I just read a review of the documentary "Last Letters Home" that
> premiered recently on HBO. I don't subscribe to HBO, so I haven't seen it
> yet. But two points about it seemed worth sharing:
>
> "In the hour long program, grieving relatives read aloud from letters,
> cards and e-mail sent by trooops who died in Iraq, and comment on the
> ways they've been affected by the loss of their loved ones. The program
> is not about pro-war or anti-war sentiments, or grand geopolitical
> visions. It just gives us a glimpse of the searing personal toll that is
> inevitable in war. I imagine it would be difficult for anyone to see it
> and not take the war more seriously. Anything that imposes such
> unmitigated agony should give us pause."
>
> "As much as possible, the reality of war is kept at a distance from the
> American people, which is a shame. My own belief is that the pain of war
> should be much more widely shared. That would help guard us against wars
> that are unnecessary, and ensure a more collective effort in those that
> are inevitable."
>
> These remarks were from Bob Herbert. They remind me of how different the
> war effort for World War II was -- I was born nine years after the war,
> but plenty has been written, and I could still hear an echo from the
> adults around me who lived through it. Campaigns urged civilians to "kick
> the oil habit" to conserve fuel for the war effort, scarce foods were
> rationed, children collected scrap metals, families grew Victory Gardens,
> butchers collected fats brought back to the store by their customers
> after cooking meat -- so the fats could be used in making munitions. The
> homefront was a real front, even if civilians weren't under fire. There
> are campaigns to collect videos for the troops, to buy body armor for the
> troops, but do any of us, whether cheering on the war effort, or
> denouncing the strategic thinking that inspired it, really share in the
> sacrifices made on the front lines?
>
> Just a thought.
>
> Siarlys
>
>
> ________________________________________________________________
> Juno Platinum $9.95. Juno SpeedBand $14.95.
> Sign up for Juno Today at http://www.juno.com!
> Look for special offers at Best Buy stores.
> _______________________________________________
> GCFL-discuss mailing list
> GCFL-discuss at gcfl.net
> http://gcfl.net/mailman/listinfo/gcfl-discuss