"What more do they want?!"

[LittleClarkie]

Got a message from an elderly couple from my church today that their sign had been stolen. "Lasted about a week," the wife said sadly. I asked if they wanted another one, she said yes, immediately. Then she chuckled and added, "When you have time, of course."

I was going to run errands anyway, so I ran over there on the way. One of their neighbors was eyeing me curiously as I stopped and pulled out a Kerry sign. As this is Freeperland, I expected the worst, but all he said was, "What happened to their sign." I explained that it was stolen. "Who would do that," he said aloud. It was kind of sweet. We all know who would do that, but it seemed incredible to this fellow that people would mess with someone's propertly like that.

After I delvered the sign and told the couple to just call me again if it keeps happening, and I'd make sure they'd get another one, I wandered over to the neighbor, as his body language indicated he wanted to talk.

He was a Marine veteran and a union guy who is kind of upset that his union never got on the ball and got signage. Too late now, he figures. If you haven't decided yet, a sign isn't going to change you, he figured.

I don't know how old he was, but he was wrinkled all to heck. He was against the war from the very beginning. About half of the veterans he knew in the neighborhood gave him hell, telling him he was unpatriotic and not fit to have been a Marine. That hurt like hell, I can tell, poor guy. But recently they've come over to talk to him and tried to apologize. He told them essentially to shove their apologies after what they said about his patriotism. He can't understand any veteran voting for Bush. "Kerry served his country while these guys hid," he said. He's angry that they attacked Kerry's service.

But the most poignant thing he said was, "They had my grampa in the first war, my dad in the second, my uncle and me in Korea and other places, and my son in Vietnam. Now they want my grandson! What more do they want!?"

For guys like him, I hope we can pull it out come November. I think we can.

[senseandsensibility]

1. I hope we can too.

Those of us young enough to get out there need to double our efforts this week and next!! Let's do it, so that we don't kick ourselves on November 3. Great story!