Where is the rage?

[proud2BlibKansan]

Where is the rage?
By cliburn - September 10th, 2007

Where is the rage?

I had drill this weekend. Drill has been a forever-evolving presence in my life for the past six years. I went from looking forward to drill to hating it to missing it while I was in Iraq and back to looking forward to it when I returned. I used to hate drill, but found myself liking the weekends where I was reunited with those that I spent a year with in Iraq. Over the past few months, that has turned into dread, and I am questioning whether or not I can remain an effective member of the military.

Over the course of our many bullshit sessions at drill, the topic of Iraq inevitably came up. We exchanged stories and shared laughs as the new guys who didn't deploy looked on with wonder. Stories about clandestine drunken nights, the anger that comes with being kicked out of the chow hall for being sweaty, and getting to the point where you ignore gunfire took up most of the time, but not all of the stories were so innocent. The same set of soldiers that in 2005 said they couldn't wait to kill "ragheads" were now bragging about times they scared Iraqis, bent the rules of engagement, and generally enjoyed playing bully for a year. I like these guys a lot, but I don't know why I was surprised. I had thought that maybe being there for a year would eventually change them and open their eyes to how their actions were inhumane, but I was wrong.

Someone who had not deployed before asked if we would go again. "In a heartbeat!" one soldier replied. Others assured him that they would have no problem going back. Now, the eyes were on me.

"No, I am not going back to participate in that war."

<skip>

In the meantime, I simply ask, "Where is the rage?!"

http://www.progressiveu.org/224930-where-is-the-rage

[IdaBriggs]

1. I've got RAGE -- I'm F*CK*NG totally enraged --

but I have to function in my day to day life. I have two beautiful babies, a great husband, and a house that is pretty chaotic. I also don't have the personality that will allow me to take illegal actions against the sociopathic PRICKS who are destroying my country. I can rant, I can rave, I can fume, I can educate, I can protest, I can speak with eloquence --

And at the end of the day, I have to put it aside, and be a good wife, mother, sister, daughter, friend. Totally fuming RAGE doesn't get me through the day. Sometimes I just have to compartmentalize it.

But I have promised myself that when "certain people" finally leave this earth, I will cover their graves with dog shit. Its a small thing, but it brings me comfort when I watch the lying bastards smirk their way through television interviews, spewing forth their smug platitudes, getting richer off of the blood of my people -- VAMPIRES ONE AND ALL....

Did I mention I've got some RAGE???

So, its a promise of dog shit, and desecrated graves. Its all I've got, and it presupposes that I will outlive the SOBs and be able to dance appropriately. Barring that, I'll settle for some prison sentences for the scummy bastards, but that would require JUSTICE, and I'm not sure any of us will live long enough to see that....

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. I like the way you think

And I understand. I had small kids once too. Couldn't do much other than read and vote. But now that they are pretty much grown, I have more time to do the activist stuff I like to do. And I march and rally and write letters and make phone calls for you. Someone did it for me when I had no time for what I am doing now. So take care of your kids and there will be a place for you when you have more time. :)

[Horse with no Name]

4. Will you march for me too Lib?

I am one of your #1 fans. :loveya:

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. You don't even have to ask

Of course I am marching for you. I like having fans! :hug:

[Horse with no Name]

3. I hear you Ida

I'm madder than hell but I am working full time with overtime because of colleagues that are out--and I went back to school this semester (decided to pick up where I left off in becoming a Nurse Practitioner).
For some reason I have been having some severe epigastric pain...and the Doctor wanted me to have an EGD and a colonoscopy--but I haven't been able to even work that into my schedule.:(
Yesterday I had 2 hours of sleep after school and work were done and was barely functional today.
I have scheduled outrage for the weekend though...:)

[unhappycamper]

6. I had to go looking, but here:

The Smedley D. Butler Chapter of the Veterans For Peace usually has this displayed when we march.

[flashl]

7. Smedley D. Butler is my hero. n/t

[B Calm]

8. All this tough talk by soldiers who have their head up their asses

needs to be shouted down with sanity!