Please Don't Close Your Blinds
The other day, my nine year old son
wanted to know why we were at war.
My husband looked at our son and then looked at me. My husband and I were
in the Army during the Gulf War and we would be honored to serve and defend our
Country again today. I knew that my husband would give him a good explanation.
My husband thought for a few minutes and then told my son to go stand in our
front living room window.
He said "Son, stand there and tell me
what you see?" "I see trees
and cars and our neighbor's houses." he replied. "OK, now I want you to pretend that our
house and our yard is the United States of America and you are President
Bush." Our son giggled and said
"OK."
"Now son, I want you to look out the
window and pretend that every house and yard on this block is a different
country" my husband said.
"OK Dad, I'm pretending." "Now
I want you to stand there and look out the window and pretend you see Saddam
come out of his house with his wife, he has her by the hair and is hitting her.
You see her bleeding and crying. He hits her in the face, he throws her on the
ground, then he starts to kick her to death.
Their children run out and are afraid to stop him, they are screaming and
crying, they are watching this but do nothing because they are kids and they
are afraid of their father. You see all of this, son what do you do?"
"Dad?" " What do you do son?" "I'd call the police, Dad." "OK. Pretend that the police are the
United Nations. They take your call. They listen to what you know and saw but
they refuse to help. What do you do then
son?" "Dad.......... but the
police are supposed to help!" My son starts to whine.
"They don't want to son, because they
say that it is not their place or your place to get involved and that you
should stay out of it," my husband says.
"But Dad...he killed her!" my son
exclaims. "I know he did, but the
police tell you to stay out of it. Now I want you to look out that window and
pretend you see our neighbor who you're pretending is Saddam turn around and do
the same thing to his children." "Daddy,
he kills them?"
"Yes son, he does. What do you
do?" "Well, if the police
don't want to help, I will go and ask my next
door neighbor to help me stop him." our son says.
"Son, our next door neighbor sees what
is happening and refuses to get involved as well. He refuses to open the door
and help you stop him," my husband says.
"But Dad, I NEED help! I
can't stop him by myself!"
"WHAT DO YOU DO SON?" Our son
starts to cry.
"OK, no one wants to help you, the man
across the street saw you ask for help and saw that no one would help you stop
him. He stands taller and puffs out his chest. Guess what he does next
son?"
"What Daddy?" "He walks across the street to the old
ladies house and breaks down her door and drags her out, steals all her stuff
and sets her house on fire and then, he kills her. He turns around and sees you
standing in the window and laughs at you. WHAT DO YOU DO?"
(Continued)
(Continued)
"Daddy..." "WHAT DO YOU DO?" Our son is crying
and he looks down and he whispers, "I'd close the blinds,
Daddy"
My husband looks at our son with tears in
his eyes and asks him. "Why?" "Because
Daddy.....the police are supposed to help people who needs them...and they
won't help.... You always say that neighbors are supposed to HELP neighbors,
but they won't help either...they won't help me stop him...I'm afraid....I
can't do it by myself Daddy....I can't look out my window and just watch him do
all these terrible things and do nothing, so I'm just going to close the blinds,
so I can't see what he's doing........and I'm going to pretend that it is not
happening."
I start to cry. My husband looks at our
nine year old son standing in the window, looking pitiful and ashamed at his
answers to my husband's questions and he says.
"Son", "Yes, Daddy." "Open the blinds because that man, he's
at your front door. "WHAT DO YOU DO?"
My son looks at his father, anger and
defiance in his eyes. He balls up his tiny fists and looks his father square in
the eyes, without hesitation he says: " I DEFEND MY FAMILY DAD!! I'M NOT
GONNA LET HIM HURT MOMMY OR MY SISTER, DAD!
I'M GONNA FIGHT HIM, DAD, I'M
GONNA FIGHT HIM!
I see a tear roll down my husband's cheek
and he grabs our son to his chest and hugs him tight, and says, " It's too
late to fight him, he's too strong and
he's already at YOUR front door son....you should have stopped him BEFORE he
killed his wife, and his children and the old lady across the way. You have to
do what's right, even if you have to do it alone, before its too late."
my husband whispers. THAT
scenario I just gave you is WHY we are at war with Iraq.
When good men stand by and let
evil happen son, THAT is the greatest atrocity in the world.
"YOU MUST NEVER BE AFRAID TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT EVEN IF YOU HAVE TO DO IT
ALONE!" BE PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!
BE PROUD OF OUR TROOPS! SUPPORT THEM! SUPPORT AMERICA SO THAT IN THE FUTURE OUR
CHILDREN WILL NEVER HAVE TO CLOSE THEIR BLINDS..."
This should be printed in every newspaper
and posted in every school in America. Of course that won't happen so we'll use
the internet. If our blinds are closed do nothing with this article. If
they are open I do
not need to tell you what to do with this article pass it on.
Steven R Chandler, CMSgt
332 ELRS/Vehicle Management Flight Balad Air Base, Iraq
MILITARY, WHY WAR.doc