How quickly the human beings you swear to protect become the very human beings you now want to kill ... to be continued

I turned 60 years old today & I almost got arrested for my 60th birthday!!! Weelll, let's say I was threatened with arrest on my 60th birthday.

And by none other then one of our soldiers!

I was walking around the San Francisco airport exercising while waiting to hear if my daughter & her baby were going to get on their plane, as they were flying standby. I happened upon a bunch of soldiers standing in line, waiting to get their tickets. I moaned internally, for all the reasons we have to bewail and dread U.S. soldiers: young people trained to become killers; lives of especially Iraqi, Pakistani, Afghans terribly threatened; young people becoming cannon fodder for our corporations.

And I did not want to have to engage in such a dialogue on my birthday with my daughter & grandchild leaving.

One of the soldiers had a huge gold christian cross dangling from several gold chairs around his neck. I passed by without speaking but didn't get far. That cross called me back as strongly as the moon tugging at the tide.

I smiled at him and stated "You all are off to Afghanistan". Several of the soldiers turned, looked at me, and smiled back "Yes ma'am!"

I asked the soldier with the cross if he was indeed a Christian. He told me proudly, yes he was.



soldiers at the airport