Explaining to a child, why we are at War
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 theArmy 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...
(Art used with permission from Inspire21.com)
13 comments:
that is one hell of a piece... wow.
thanks for sharing it with all of us. i know it made me think..
WOW, brought tears to my eyes. Thank you for sharing it....I guess that will help me explain to my children why their daddy has to go to war or be away from them at times.
If only we acted sooner on Hitler...how many lives might have been saved?
Great piece and it's nice to see a site like this. There are so many that only want to persecute Bush and close their eyes to the atrocites Saddam committed. Will those people feel the same when Iran develops nuclear weapons and one gets in the hands of Al Qaida?
It'll be too late then.
Dear "kerkel",
While moderating comments for this post, I had a debate with myself whether or not to even allow your comment on my blog. As you can see, I did allow it, although it is entirely irrelevant to me, as I have made it clear that I will not get into political debates. This blogsite is for Americans, by Americans. It is a site of support for American Military and their families. You being from Estonia, probably only wandered in here by looking at the post title and decided to comment when you didn't like what you read. You refer to me as "friend", but you are not my friend. You insult Americans by your bitter claim that "Americans didn't even know who the Estonians are" and say "Nobody helped us". Well, you may be right about that, that isn't for me to say, but this blog isn't the place for anyone to try to start up political debates and air their complaints about America or her people.
i think proudfan is right on this kerkel - this isn't the place to bellyache about the US and whether anyone ever helped estonia or not. you have your own blog to do that on if you choose to do so.
this blog is for those of us wupporting our US troops and our veterans and their families.
i can honestly say i don't know where estonia is. that's because i haven't ever needed to know. guess i am somewhat ethnocentric, but that's ok with me.
Proudfan,
I think you are doing a great job with your blog and don't worry, you have supporters of your own. I think the post was good, and if others don't like it they can leave and read some other blog!
Proudfan,
I think you have a great site and love the fact that you support our servicemen and women. Ignore people who complain because they are mad the US hasn't helped them. Sometimes people have to learn to help themselves. Keep up the good work!
KERKEL -
You said:
"We understand only thing the war is in Iraq in oil."
and you also said:
"I am an old woman. I do not want to speak about politics. You'd better clean away my commants, because I never agree with war eccept somody has come to your own country."
So, let me address this, because I have no plans to remove your comments at this time. Maybe later.
FIRST OF ALL - I understand that it may be your belief that the only reason Americans are in Iraq is for oil. That is your belief. You are entitled to your opinion, whether or not I agree or disagree with it is a moot point. However, for the record, I do disagree with you, very much.
SECONDLY - I mean no disrespect to "an old woman". When I told you that you are not my friend, what I meant was, you and I do not know each other well enough through a few posts on a blog to assume that we could possibly be friends. I wish no evil upon you, I just meant that we are merely acquaintances, not familiar friends.
FINALLY - You say you do not wish to speak about politics, that is fine. I agree. Let's not talk about politics -- but for the record -- you said, "I never agree with war eccept somody has come to your own country."
When Iraqi terrorists came into the United States of America and destroyed the World Trade Center Towers, when they attacked our Pentagon and hijacked our planes in our own air space, when they in cold blood took thousands of lives of innocent men and women and children and threatened our country's security -- they awoke in America a mighty giant. We did not go to Iraq and seek a fight, they instigated a fight by bringing terrorism to our land.
North Korea is an entirely different issue which I am not going to take the time to go into. NO MORE POLITICS.
NOW THEN - You and I may disagree. We come from very different places, and are from two different generations. I assume that what you and I both have in common is that we are both very strong minded women, and that we both agree that war is not a good thing, but that sometimes it may be a necessary evil. I think that as different as we may be that ultimately we both want our soldiers to be able to come home safe, and to be supported while they are absent from home.
That is what this blog is about.
Whenever there is war, it brings much death and destruction. It rarely brings out the best in people. But to debate why or why not a country is at war and to assume that you know better than an individual who is from that country why their country is at war, is assanine. It will get us nowhere to continue this discussion.
I am leaving your comments up for another day or two, then perhaps I will go ahead and delete them. I haven't decided yet.
I do hope that you will prosper in your own right and that your country will prosper also.
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
KERKEL's coments were removed by Kerkel, not by me. It is too bad that Kerkel felt ashamed enough of her own statements that she felt that she had to remove them.
Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but as most of us know, in America, we have the right to speak freely and disagree with each other's opinions, which makes us not less sophisticated, but more so.
Blog on.
For those who missed Kerkel's posts-- here they are:
"Dear friend!
This story was ment to americans.
I am estonian from Estonia.I had no tears reading this story. I am against war.To explane the war by this way it is for them who do not know another way to do right things.
We estonians were more than 50 years under russians but americans even didn't know who the estonians are. More: they didn't know that exists Estonia. Nobody helped us."
--
Posted by kerkel to Freedom Isn't Free at 4/15/2006 11:04:30 AM
--
I am NOT mad on american because USA hadn't helped us or somebody else.Nobody could not, because Russia was too strong.
We understand only thing the war is in Iraq in oil.Why there is not war in North Korea or other contry, which can't give anything for so rich cuontry as America is.
Why was the war in Vietnam?
Wars against Iraq began before and the terrible 11-th Sept.
I am an old woman. I do not want to speak about politics. You'd better clean away my commants, because I never agree with war eccept somody has come to your own country. Not somewhere thousend miles away.
You are not my friend?
I strongly believe this.
It was my first time I had contact with americans discussing by war.
I am very dissopointed.
You have your truth as Russia has its.And now...our own estonians are in Iraq you see.
Dood by for ever!
--
Posted by kerkel to Freedom Isn't Free at 4/15/2006 10:50:55 PM
--
"I am sorry!
I am not your friend? Sure!
I am an old woman and I allow me to think about killing otherway.
Only the oil is why americans are fighting. Why they are not fighting in Noth Korea?
Besides! I have never waiting help to Estonia from America. Never, never, never!
I just wanted to show why your young man are killing and die'ing thousends and thousend miles away from their homes.And now...our our boys are in Iraq because of NATO.
You'd better clean away both mu comments.This is my very first contact with americans discussing by a war and I am very very dissepointid."
--
Posted by kerkel to Freedom Isn't Free at 4/15/2006 11:08:23 PM
--
I chose to re-post kerkel's comments after receiving emails from some of you asking what this was all about.
Although kerkel herself may not be happy that I have done so, this is my blog and I will post as I see fit.
I am making this post on behalf of kerkel. For some reason there was an error while kerkel tried to post to my blog. I do not know why it had this error. I have been unable to post it for her so I am copying it and pasting it here.
Kerkel had this to say:
"It's OK. I think you that you just do not tolerate somebody thinking contrariwise.
I am a medical doctor (retired by now) and christian.
I am against war and killing.
If you look at my blog you can see that I am fighting with problems in my country in my own way.
There are too many very burning problem to fight for: disease, disablement,disability to have a normal home, disasters, drugs, alcogholism, violence etc."
Dear Kerkel --
I do not have a problem with you thinking or believing differently than I do. That is your right. I like hearing different points of view, but it does not mean that I have to agree with you any more than you have to agree with me.
In fact, neither of us is going to see eye to eye on everything and that is okay with me.
You are right - war is a terrible thing. Many innocent lives are taken and there is much destruction. Nevermind the politics of war, neither of us care to talk politics.
We are each individuals who care about our respective countries and are trying to make things better. Arguing amongst ourselves will not benefit either of us.
Our countries share many of the same problems: homelessness, poverty, alcoholism, drug abuse, etc. I think it is great that you do what you can to fight the problems in your country by doing what you can to make a difference. I do the same in my country.
As I said before, I wish you well in your work and your efforts.
Let's see if this comment goes through...
When I saw my comment, I noticed many mistakes. My English is very poor because I had no opportunity to practice it much. You had a good chance to improve my mistakes. :-))Now let them be!
Kerkel - Thank you for coming by. I did not fix the mistakes in your writing because I did not want to alter your statements. Your English is quite good, I do not think that anyone had any trouble understanding the points you were trying to make. Although there were some mistakes, I think you did fine.
I will let them be. :)
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