Spare Him

I read this Washington Post (via Memeorandum) op-ed by Mary-Jo Cooney, which is supposed to be, according to her, about her son who is a marine due to deploy in Iraq at the end of the month. Only it isn't about her son at all, really.

Can I expect my son to return unchanged by this experience? If the media reports are any indication, that is doubtful. Will his mind be seriously disturbed by what he sees, or will his body bear wounds that will not heal? Will we, as a nation, do all that we can, as Abraham Lincoln put it, " to care for him who shall hath borne the battle, and for his widow and his orphan"?

Or will we continue to make veterans prove that they are entitled to compensation for the injuries they have suffered since we cannot make them whole?

Will it take a universal draft for President Bush and the rest of the country to understand the price that this war is exacting?

She says she'll try to make his leave enjoyable.

I have seen my son go to Iraq twice. I have stayed here, worried for him, twice. I stood in for him at the funeral of the only soldier in his unit to have died while in Iraq. These are things that are part of having a child who chose to enlist. Those who wait at home also serve. But please, do not project your feelings, your politics onto your son, who chose service to his country. Spare him the emotional conflict and the distractions of projecting your attitudes onto him. Support him and the choice he willingly made.

He is a marine, my son is a soldier. They both chose their paths. It is our jobs as parents to be proud of them and to support them in their choices in life. Yes, many people in this country do not understand the sacrifices involved, but we who wait at home must do our part and give our children, grown now into adulthood, our love and support. Never let them feel you waver in that support, he needs it. And you need to give it, as much for yourself as for him.

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  By Lars Walker, July 9, 2007 @ 7:14 am

  Ah, but you don’t grasp the nuanced point. These young people aren’t men, in the eyes of the left. They are “children,” personal accessories of their parents. In the end, it’s all about the parents.

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  By syn, July 9, 2007 @ 8:00 am

  I pray for her son’s sake and all our brave soldiers that we never reach the point of ‘universal draft’ as this would be an indictation that the enemy’s force has grown more powerful than our ability to crush.

  Since I do not have anyone in my family serving I consider it an honor to be able to send care packages (thru any soldier.com) to my American brothers and sisters serving far from home. The media may not show it but our US Armed Forces are flooded with packages and letters of support from Americans who do care.

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  By Sylvia, July 9, 2007 @ 8:27 am

  You are a splendid role model. [So's your son.]

Other Links to this Post

1. Wake up America — July 9, 2007 @ 8:49 am