I got a Christmas letter from a guy who also contributes to our blog. I posted it there at our blog with his permission but I imagine some parts of it might also strike a resonant chord especially to some people here at DailyKos. (If I've broken this site's ruled linking to it here, please excuse me---I don't post here very often).
Posted after the jump here are some text excerpts. What struck me most about the letter was the way we on the progressive side process the grief attendant to such cataclysmic loss when politics and war co-mingle in someone who has devoted a lifetime to civil service.
We grieve, but we cannot stop at grief alone. We feel compelled to reflect on the meaning of this loss. It’s obvious we should not send young military men and women in harm’s way unless absolutely necessary. And yes, war is sometimes the only way to defend our nation. My brother and I served on active duty as did my son in the recent Afghanistan War. But the military but must be competently led...
At this time of year spirituality fills our hearts and we often seek guidance from God. But we must be careful in doing so. I apologize for raising a sensitive issue, but many Americans believed not so long ago that God wanted George Bush to be President. Bush thought God wanted us to war in Iraq. In our home we do not believe God directs the American people whom to elect or whether or not to enter into wars...
The responsibility for this ongoing mess does not stop with George Bush, his pride and stubborn denial, or his family’s long association with the oil industry in the Middle East. Their kind will always pursue their special interests. The ultimate responsibility for this war, at least from the 2004 election on, rests with us voters...
Remembering 2978, Remembering One
Those of you who share the pain of such loss around the holidays, and feel some of these complexities in your grief, I hope this letter might find you too, and that we can all help to find the thoughts that best help cope with loss.