Please don't turn away from the realities of war.

I write this on Memorial Day 2008, as we honor the men and woman who have given their lives for our country. I am reminded this day that it is far too easy to believe we are doing our part simply by saying that we are honoring these brave men and women, and far to easy to let it stop there. Without demonstration, our words of respect mean nothing.

One of the ways that we are able to duck the responsibility of standing behind our words of respect (by the way, I write this to myself too --- I'm including myself in my finger pointing) is to protect ourselves from the down-and-dirty realities of war. As long as we can think of the war in Iraq (or any war) in abstract, political terms, we can enjoy our Memorial Day cookout without discomfort.

I am not suggesting that we not enjoy our cookouts today, that we not enjoy the fellowship of friends and family. Far from it. We are, after all, enjoying the freedom for which the brave men and women we honor today gave their lives. (I do think that they fought and died for a lot more than holiday cookouts, however.) What I am suggesting is that we make a commitment this Memorial Day to do more to lift ourselves out of minimization and denial of the realities of the violence that continues even as we munch on our hot dogs. Toward that end, I want to recommend an important book: Breathing the Fire: Fighting to Report -- And Survive -- The War in Iraq by Kimberly Dozier.

Dozier is a CBS correspondent who was, along with her colleagues and military escorts, hit by a car bomb two years ago ---- Memorial Day 2006. Not one of us can read this book and remain in denial, or keep ourselves at a safe distance, from the reality of the Iraq war ---- you know, the war that we won so long ago, and that continues to kill real human beings, like you and me. In spite of road blocks of public opinion and in the publishing world, Dozier has persisted in telling her story ---- and her story needs to be heard. So please purchase a copy of Breathing the Fire, and please help spread the word about Kimberly Dozier's story.

Here is the amazon link for this important book: BREATHING THE FIRE by Kimberly Dozier

And finally, I want to specifically say thank you to Ms. Dozier and her team for their unimaginable sacrifices.

This is about doing our part to get our heads out of… the sand (What did you think I was going to say?), not about basking in our guilt and shame. So order the book, make a commitment to read it when it shows up, and to tell others about it, and then get back to the cook out. Munch, munch, pass the relish please.

Thom Rutledge / May 26, 2008

A history of homeless vets with PTSD

"For as long as the United States has sent its young men - and later its young women - off to war, it has watched as a segment of them come home and lose the battle with their own memories, their own scars, and wind up without homes.

"The Civil War produced thousands of wandering veterans. Frequently addicted to morphine, they were known as "tramps," searching for jobs and, in many cases, literally still tending their wounds.

"More than a decade after the end of World War I, the "Bonus Army" descended on Washington - demanding immediate payment on benefits that had been promised to them, but payable years later - and were routed by the U.S. military.

"And, most publicly and perhaps most painfully, there was Vietnam: Tens of thousands of war-weary veterans, infamously rejected or forgotten by many of their own fellow citizens.

"Now it is happening again, in small but growing numbers."

- This is an excerpt from an Associated Press article (January 19, 2008) that is well worth reading:

WHY DOES JOHNNY COME MARCHING HOMELESS?



My hope is that Healing Those Who Serve will be one among many, many programs that step up to meet the needs of these returning warriors.

I am infuriated to listen to our government's battle cry to get these men and women into the battlefield, but do so little for them when they return. I believe it is our responsibility as citizens to continue to insist that government do what is right, and our responsibility to participate in the political process (i.e. be vocal about the needs of veterans, vote), but it is not enough that we simply point out the deficits in governmental policy and practice. Our nation should not be defined by its government. We, the people, are The United States of America. And so, while we become the voices of our own battle cry to insist the government do what is right, we can simultaneously step up to serve these veterans ourselves. We can do this by creating and supporting programs like Healing Those Who Serve.

I am grateful for the opportunity to participate in the creation of this program. I urge anyone who is inclined to help, to make a contribution to our efforts:

MAKE YOUR CONTRIBUTION NOW --- PLEASE & THANK YOU.

or, if not this program, find some way to contribute financially or with your time in your community. One thing I have learned in my 54 years on this earth is that when many people are willing to contribute even a little, it means a lot.

(And, for what it is worth, my FREE book offer continues: When you make a contribution of $50 or more, email me your address and I'll send you a copy of Embracing Fear.)

Later,

Thom