Reflecting

I'm sitting here listening to the theme from "American Beauty" - it's a lovely, somewhat mournful song. I'm blogsurfing (my latest fun sport) and just found this gentle little blog that is focused on the children in Iraq. I was saddened to see that Dave's friend, Khalid, was recently murdered in the war and send my sympathies to his family. You may also want to see some pictures of Iraqi schoolchildren.

The man who wrote the entry about Khalid is a veteran of this war - a young man recently returned from service. People like him are the reason that I've never condemned those who choose to serve in the military. Whether or not I agree with the government's obsession with the military-industrial complex, the fact remains that there are kind and caring people who feel the need to serve in this way.

"Sometimes, in order to be Who You Are, you must first be Who You Are Not." ~God

Maybe, our soldiers are learning about the people they don't want to be. Maybe, they will become our next powerful voices for peace - a truly lasting and sustainable peace. Those who have experienced the horrors of war possibly have a much greater incentive to see it end.