In these times of great turmoil and constant lying, cheating and stealing by so many in the "spot light," I find myself searching every day for something that will lift me up and encourage me to see that things are changing and things will change. That is why I come to dkos. The energy and diligence of kossaks to not allow our country to be torn away from us by those misguided in their accumulation of power at any cost, is part of what keeps me going.
More below the fold
Being informed is my responsibility and with the current dearth of in-depth and truthful information in the places that should be providing such, DailyKos is my oasis of truth. In my life away from DKos, I subscribe to several lists that assist me in keeping some balance in my life (yeah, I really do have some life away from dkos. . .though sometimes it is hard to fit it in with all that is so compelling at this community). From one of those lists this very encouraging and heart warming excerpt really lifted me up on a cloudy, dreary Sunday in rural Idaho. I thought it might do the same for some of you as well.
First diary jitters aside, it is Sgt. Benderman's words that are important here, not mine.
**Excerpted from a letter By Sgt. Kevin Benderman a U.S. Army mechanic with ten years of service under his belt, including a role in the assault on Baghdad... www.Bruderhof.com (sorry, I tried to add the link but it didn't work right. . .I'm learning so cut me some slack please)
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A Matter Of Conscience
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"Having watched and observed life from the standpoint of a soldier for ten years of my life, I always felt there was no higher honor than to serve my country and defend the values that established this country. My family has a history of serving this country dating back to the American Revolution, and I felt that to continue on in that tradition was the honorable thing to do.
"I cannot tell anyone else how to live his or her life, but I have determined how I want to live mine.
"Why do we tell our children to not solve their differences with violence, then turn around and commit the ultimate in violence against people in another country who have nothing to do with the political attitudes of their leaders?
"Having read numerous books on the subject of war and having heard all the arguments for war, I have come to the conclusion that there are no valid arguments for the destructive force of war. People are destroyed, nations are destroyed, and yet we continue on with war. The young people that I went with to the combat zone looked at it like it was a video game they played back in their childhood.
"When you contemplate the beauty of the world around us and the gifts we have been given, you have to ask yourself, "Is this what humanity is meant to do, wage war against one another?" Why can't we teach our children not to hate or to not be afraid of someone else just because they are different from us? Why must it be considered honorable to train young men and women to look through the sights of a high-powered rifle and to kill another human being from 300 meters away?
"I have learned from firsthand experience that war is the destroyer of everything that is good in the world; it turns our young into soulless killers, and we tell them that they are heroes when they master the "art" of killing. That is a very deranged mindset in my opinion. It destroys the environment, life, and the resources that could be used to create more life by advancing our endeavors."