Timmy got up from his 1995 Hewlett-Packard computer while Sarah hung up her only dress that her parents has bought for her three years ago. She had let down the hem, but it was still getting too short for her.
She saw her father looking out the window and across the street. He seemed to be pondering what other barricade he could put up to protect his family from the cruel family that had moved in last year.
His wife Charleen called the family to dinner. Once more just greens from the garden out back. Tonight she added some Liquid Smoke she had found in the back of the cupboard. Maybe they could pretend that there was some bacon with the greens tonight.
Timmy got up from his 1995 Hewlett-Packard computer while Sarah hung up her only dress that her parents has bought for her three years ago. She had let down the hem, but it was still getting too short for her.
She saw her father looking out the window and across the street. He seemed to be pondering what other barricade he could put up to protect his family from the cruel family that had moved in last year.
His wife Charleen called the family to dinner. Once more just greens from the garden out back. Tonight she added some Liquid Smoke she had found in the back of the cupboard. Maybe they could pretend that there was some bacon with the greens tonight.
Proud man of the house, Harry Tharp approached the table and proceeded to lead the family in grace before the meager meal.
"Master Father, we thank you for one more day of protection in our home. You have blessed us with one another and with the many barricades and weapons at our fingertips keeping us safe one more day. Help us stay alert. May you bring down remorse and conversion on the Joneses across the street. And bless our humble food. Nourish our bodies and give us the wisdom we need to overtake the Joneses"
Charleen looked over at Harry and nodded her head in approval. They all said "Amen," knowing that they would go to bed tonight hungry one more time.
"Dad, it’s been a long time now since Mr. Jones threw his shovel at you. How long must we live like this? I heard that he wants to talk to you," Timmy noted.
"Hush, boy. He may have spies out there listening to our conversation. Did you double lock the back door today when you came in from school.?"
"Yeh, Dad, and I put the chair up against the door as soon as I got in the door. You know, I’m tired of this life. I’m going over there tonight myself. I like Marcy. I think she and I can bring some type of peace between you two old men."
"Timmy, shame on you! Your dad’s age gives him wisdom. He knows what he’s doing. Let him take care of this problem. On TV tonight, that handsome newsman Pepper Rondon said that life is getting rough in every neighborhood. They’re out to get you...every last one of them!"
Not convinced by pretty boy Rondon, Timmy went on: "Come on, Mom. Marcy Jones is a good kid. I had her over the other....."
Harry and Charleen glared at their son. Charleen was angry.
"You had that Jones girl over? Haven’t I told you for months to not ever look at that family? They’re dangerous people!
"Listen to your dad. This isn’t anything you need to speak up about or do anything about," his mother advised. "Your father knows what those Joneses are up to. It’s none of your business to stick you nose into this conflict that’s between your dad and that Mr. Jones. The least we ask of you is to mind your own business. It’s not up to our children to ....."
"Mom, look at us!" Timmy yelled, finally having the guts to face up to both parents. "Just look at us! We have built up our barricades around this house. We have bought every gun, knife, traps, Army surplus stuff out there to defend ourselves from perceived dangers from the Jones. Sara and I can’t buy a coke after school, get class rings or even a decent prom dress or rent a tux. We eat crap every meal!"
His mother stood up and stared him down.
"Timmy, you don’t know a damn thing about this situation! Now leave this table, go to your room, and don’t let me see you until you are ready to apologize! Sara, if you’re of the same mind, get out of here with your brother! You two are not the adults here. You worry about school, your pet dog and cat. But this is none of your business!"
Timmy and Charleen got up from the table in unison. They had had enough. But instead of going to their rooms, they went to their front door, unlocking it and shoving all the barricades off the front porch. They released the animal traps while their parents looked on in disgust. How dare these children to take matters in their own hands!
Yet the action did get a reaction from Harry. This was his son! As much as he felt insulted and shocked about the actions of both children, he couldn’t help but look at the whole situation with new eyes. He knew Timmy was a smart kid. If he had no backbone, he would go along with his father’s wishes.
Maybe he had taken this thing a little too far. That Jones fellow could have a short wick on his firecracker, but then hadn’t he thrown the rake at him?
So it was on that night when the Joneses and the Tharps decided to call a truce. They would probably never be close friends, but at least they could have normal front yards and disarm.
Asked later why he lost it all that night at the dinner table, sticking his nose into a situation that was none of his business, Timmy explained:
"I saw a wrong in our family, all of whom I love immensely. But I also saw that my elders were not acting in my sister’s and my interest. I saw that all of our family’s income and savings were going to arm ourselves twenty times over what we needed, and I was getting darn hungry. My sister had no clothes left. We had to act! We could see that our families spending priorities and inclination to violence were wrong.
"And even though we were the kids, even though we had no authority over my dad and mom, we knew what was right and what was wrong. I’m glad we sent the message to my parents. If we hadn’t, maybe we would have still been living in that depressing bunker we had to call home sweet home."
Lesson: The spending on violent wars of occupation in Iraq and Afghanistan by our federal leadership is not only harming our soldiers, their families, their communities and the people of these countries, but it’s also sucking funds from local taxpayers to pay for it, much to the harm of cities and counties throughout the country. We could sit back and say, local governments have no say on how the federal government spends money from our residents. Or we could pass resolutions from the smallest towns to the largest states, telling our elected leaders in Washington that our federal government has over-stepped its bottom line. It’s time to act now!