Don't ever close your blinds!

**devildog88** · 12-01-2005, 09:49 AM

Don't Close Your Blinds

Steven R Chandler, CMSgt
332 ELRS/Vehicle Management
Flight Balad Air Base, Iraq

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?"

"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...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..."

**ag-guys** · 12-01-2005, 09:53 AM

alrighty

AG
www.ag-guys.com

**dougnukem** · 12-01-2005, 10:24 AM

Good stuff!

**NeilPearson** · 12-01-2005, 11:43 AM

Too bad America closes the blinds to all the other countries in the world that this is happening in... unless there is an oil interest

**devildog88** · 12-01-2005, 11:50 AM

Not true...........WWI, WWII, Korea and yes even Vietnam. Just so happens that recently the conflicts that we are involved in are in areas rich in oil. We have a large stake in Isreal as well.

**dougnukem** · 12-01-2005, 11:56 AM

I know. Somalia is worldy known for it's vast oil fields.....

**bigss75** · 12-01-2005, 11:59 AM

Yeah we've been in Isreal forever and haven't seen a drop of oil there. Afghanistan has one pipeline but we didn't go in there just for that.

**NeilPearson** · 12-01-2005, 12:14 PM

All the wars you mentioned, the US had a direct interest in whether it be stopping the spread of communism or helping European allies with Germany - which by the way they only joined after Europe (and European colonies like Canada) had fought Germany for years and the tides of war were already turning. If Japan had never attacked Pearl Habor would the US have ever joined? They sure had the blinds pulled down for a long time in that one even as their allies fought in Europe.

So what about instances where the US doesn't have a direct interest in?

How about Ethiopia? http://hrw.org/english/docs/2005/01/13/ethiop9833.htm

Of course Ethiopia has cooperated with the US on the war vs terrorism so a blind eye can be turned on how they treat their citizens.

And what about Sudan? The conflict in Darfur has witnessed some of the worst human rights abuses imaginable, including systematic and wide-scale ethnic-cleansing, murder, rape, torture, and enslavement.

And south Asia...
http://www.derechos.org/saran/

This little story simplifies things too much. The US has never involved themselves in a war for just human rights violations. They use that as an excuse to serve their own interests while ignoring other human rights violations if ignoring it serves their interest or if involving themselves doesn't serve an American purpose.

The truth is human rights violations are happening all over the planet and the US does nothing unless their is a direct interest in doing something. I am not saying this is necessarily bad - the US couldn't possibly police the world and allow its citizens the quality of life that they are used to. Just don't believe that the US watches out for anyone other than the US and they definitely aren't going to invest time and money to stop human rights violations just for the sake of helping people in another country.

**NeilPearson** · 12-01-2005, 12:17 PM

It's not necessarily always about oil. It could be about communism or securing key allies that are needed to go into countries with oil... or in the case of Afghanistan and Japan, it could be just defending the nation.

Bush had no choice with Afghanistan - the American people would have demanded it. Then again, he really made a token effort there. He spent way more resources on Iraq - and never did find Osama

**NeilPearson** · 12-01-2005, 12:22 PM

Of course the US wants to maintain relations in Israel. They are in a perfect location to launch attacks from. They are friendly, they have nukes and they pretty much do what they are told to do.

**dougnukem** · 12-01-2005, 12:25 PM

Well, as far as Etheopia is concerned, we have folks there right now, as we speak. I know people that work at my home station that just returned from there, helping them out, building school, homes, and other places of need. Or all the troops we've deployed to Pakistan (from an already strained manned military) do help with the relief efforts there. But your right, we don't help out around the world in humanitarian efforts. Oh there was also, this typhoon that struck southern Asia since you mentioned it. If I recall, that was more of our troops already stationed overseas, that were forward deployed to place that was infested with an insane amount of diseases due to all of the dead bodies. But yet, here we were, up to our elbows in carcasses of people, some just barely starting life, doing what we could to help these people that didn't have much in life exept maybe a tin roof over their heads. Talk about a rich country there, huh?

**dougnukem** · 12-01-2005, 12:27 PM

Originally Posted by NeilPearson

Of course the US wants to maintain relations in Israel. They are in a perfect location to launch attacks from. They are friendly, they have nukes and they pretty much do what they are told to do.

Actually, we don't have any aircraft or bases in Israel. They don't mind us so much in that area of the world, but they definately don't want us using their country as an "attack base of operations."

**NeilPearson** · 12-01-2005, 12:50 PM

Originally Posted by dougnukem

Well, as far as Etheopia is concerned, we have folks there right now, as we speak. I know people that work at my home station that just returned from there, helping them out, building school, homes, and other places of need. Or all the troops we've deployed to Pakistan (from an already strained manned military) do help with the relief efforts there. But your right, we don't help out around the world in humanitarian efforts. Oh there was also, this typhoon that struck southern Asia since you mentioned it. If I recall, that was more of our troops already stationed overseas, that were forward deployed to place that was infested with an insane amount of diseases due to all of the dead bodies. But yet, here we were, up to our elbows in carcasses of people, some just barely starting life, doing what we could to help these people that didn't have much in life exept maybe a tin roof over their heads. Talk about a rich country there, huh?

I'm not claiming the US doesn't do humanitarian efforts. Sure building homes, schools, etc will definitely be done. That is different than trying to take out the government because of its human rights violations.

**dougnukem** · 12-01-2005, 12:54 PM

If you really want to know my honest opinion, I think we waste too much time with other countries. We have so much BS going on in our own country, that we should be more inward focused as opposed to outward focused. but I guess that's the drawback of being in a democratic and capitalistic run country. Kissing arsses and allowing out big corperations to take up shop abroad and lay off their own people in order to make a few bucks more.

**adrien_j9** · 12-01-2005, 12:59 PM

What about the bad man inside the little boys house who's maiming and killing? The people in the bedroom doing drugs and the children living in the garage without blankets and food? What about his sister, the prostitute who works for food? Should not the family help family when no one else can, or should he pick the stranger across the street to stand against, instead of his family to stand for? When does the little boy defend those in his own house?

**NeilPearson** · 12-01-2005, 01:00 PM

Originally Posted by dougnukem

If you really want to know my honest opinion, I think we waste too much time with other countries. We have so much BS going on in our own country, that we should be more inward focused as opposed to outward focused. but I guess that's the drawback of being in a democratic and capitalistic run country. Kissing arsses and allowing out big corperations to take up shop abroad and lay off their own people in order to make a few bucks more.

I couldn't agree more. I am not saying we should liberate all these countries. The US simply doesn't have the resources for it. I don't want to crush the US economy under taxes because all these countries can't get their shit together. I am just saying the little story that started this thread is cute but a little unrealistic - the US rarely involves themselves in other countries human rights issues unless there is direct benefit for the US... that's not a bad thing.

**devildog88** · 12-01-2005, 01:02 PM

All a part of being the most powerful nation in the world. "If you don't want the responsibilities don't take the job" I am not condoning all that our country does after all diversity and conflict of opinion is what makes us strong. However if we are to be THE word power then we must look after monitary as well as stratigic interests world wide.

Just an old JARHEAD'S opinion.

**adrien_j9** · 12-01-2005, 01:02 PM

It's a beautiful story when told from a loving "home." This just isn't the case with America.

**devildog88** · 12-01-2005, 01:04 PM

Originally Posted by adrien_j9

It's a beautiful story when told from a loving "home." This just isn't the case with America.

This coming from someone who posts compasionate pics like this in their gallery?

**adrien_j9** · 12-01-2005, 01:10 PM

You definitely have me there. I'm a work in progress, there's no denying that. I also have more respect for you than most others. I am who I am. I find random internet pictures funny, and I want repair to begin from the inside - myself included.

**dougnukem** · 12-01-2005, 01:15 PM

Originally Posted by NeilPearson

I couldn't agree more. I am not saying we should liberate all these countries. The US simply doesn't have the resources for it. I don't want to crush the US economy under taxes because all these countries can't get their shit together. I am just saying the little story that started this thread is cute but a little unrealistic - the US rarely involves themselves in other countries human rights issues unless there is direct benefit for the US... that's not a bad thing.

That's what makes it a story. Not necessarily real, but meant to touch you in a way that makes you reflect on what some people truly feel.

**NeilPearson** · 12-01-2005, 01:16 PM

I'm touched

**devildog88** · 12-01-2005, 01:16 PM

Self evaluation often times is obscured by self indulgence. I respect the fact that you are being honest and not tryng to make excuses or justify your response. An honorable trait to say the least.

**dougnukem** · 12-01-2005, 01:23 PM

Originally Posted by NeilPearson

I'm touched

See?

**adrien_j9** · 12-01-2005, 01:25 PM

Sometimes you have to go through absolute shit before you start opening your eyes. I'd forgotten that picture was on my site, and at times I do find it humorous, but am seeing its insult more and more. I'm not proud of my sick sense of humor, but I can't seem to stop laughing when someone wipes out in front of me. THUS...my self-discovery adventure!

**dougnukem** · 12-01-2005, 01:29 PM

Originally Posted by adrien_j9

Sometimes you have to go through absolute shit before you start opening your eyes. I'd forgotten that picture was on my site, and at times I do find it humorous, but am seeing its insult more and more. I'm not proud of my sick sense of humor, but I can't seem to stop laughing when someone wipes out in front of me. THUS...my self-discovery adventure!

I figure, as long as you can laugh at yourself when you wipe out, it's okay to laugh at others when they wipe out as well.

**adrien_j9** · 12-01-2005, 01:35 PM

Are you kidding?! I laugh at myself all the time. I'm usually the only one who does!!!

**dougnukem** · 12-01-2005, 01:40 PM

And that's a good thing. See, you're well on your way to recovery.

**devildog88** · 12-01-2005, 01:52 PM

Originally Posted by adrien_j9

Sometimes you have to go through absolute shit before you start opening your eyes. I'd forgotten that picture was on my site, and at times I do find it humorous, but am seeing its insult more and more. I'm not proud of my sick sense of humor, but I can't seem to stop laughing when someone wipes out in front of me. THUS...my self-discovery adventure!

Don't sweat the little things. Life is a journy and what you think of yourself is more important than what others think.

This is a long way from Iraq though!

**adrien_j9** · 12-01-2005, 01:55 PM

My whole thing with the war. Massive intellects beware!!!
To heal the outside, we must first heal inside. There is so much suffering and pain in our neighborhoods... I believe it is our duty to heal within so we may stand more united in healing without.

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