Reconsidering photographs at Dover

Another story from NPR. This shows the reconsideration of allowing the media to photograph coffins coming home at Dover. While individual families have the right to decide whether their family members are photographed in flag draped coffins at funerals, this decision would be beforehand.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101137468

Women in Combat Series

NPR recently had a series on Women in Combat. The five part series looks at a variety of factors that affect women.

I heard the fourth part yesterday as I was driving home from school. It talked about women not only dealing with the problems of PTSD, but also some of the difficulties in dealing the sexual assault as well. I can't even begin to imagine...

A couple days ago, I was listening to Ken Burns talk about World War II and his documentary on this during a late night show. He was talking about how some of these men had never shared their stories. Their families didn't even know what they went through. However, many of these stories were quite vivid even though these events happened sixty years ago. I wonder if sixty years from now if we'll look back and see if we've done any better in listening.

From All Things Considered, here's the link to the series:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14964676

Recent Demonstrators Regarding the War

A few photos from a recent protest in my town. Code Pink Orange County demonstrates in the center of the city of Orange, CA every Wednesday night from 5:30 until 7:00 pm. Sometimes they are joined by counter-protesters, as they were on this recent Spring night.

Support The Troops Video

For Mother's Day

In the United States, Julia Ward Howe tried to start Mother's Day as a protest to war. Here's her original proclamation in 1870. It still seems so applicable today.

Arise, then, women of this day! Arise all women who have
hearts, whether our baptism be that of water or of fears!

Say firmly: "We will not have great questions decided by irrelevant agencies. Our husbands shall not come to us, reeking with carnage, for caresses and applause. Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn all that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience.

We women of one country will be too tender of those of
another country to allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs. From the bosom
of the devastated earth a voice goes up with our own. It says "Disarm, Disarm!
The sword of murder is not the balance of justice."

Blood does not wipe our dishonor nor violence indicate possession. As men have often forsaken the plow and the anvil at the summonsof war, let women now leave all that may be left of home for agreat and earnest day of counsel. Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead.

Let them then solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means whereby the great human family can live in peace, each bearing after their own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar, but of God.

In the name of womanhood and of humanity, I earnestly ask that a general congress of women without limit of nationality may be appointed and held at some place deemed most convenient and at the earliest period consistent with its objects, to promote the alliance of the different nationalities, the amicable settlement of international questions, the great and general interests of peace.

Julia Ward HoweBoston 1870

Newsweek Article: The War in the Words of the Dead

Newsweek published an article this week that shows the letters from those fighting in Iraq. It does the same thing that we attempt to do with the Women and War project: it shows a variety of perspectives and it shows how families are affected. Author Jon Meacham says,

"No matter where one stands on the decision to invade or on the conduct of the
conflict over the last four years, the Iraq War is indisputably a curious
thing. For the first time in the experience of any living American, we have
sent an all-volunteer force overseas to advance our interests for a
prolonged period, and virtually nothing has been asked of the vast majority
of those who do not have loved ones in the line of fire. The bargain is
hardly fair. If we take the president at his word, the men and women of the
armed forces are fighting and dying over there so that you and I will not
have to face mortal danger over here."

Thoughts about war, Peace Corps

I estimate, conservatively, that I am a week away from submitting my Peace Corps application and beginning that process. I think talking about this war with friends and with strangers made me consider my values like I never had before, and it made me realize how many values I didn't act on. I remember telling Emily at one point, "But everyone lives their values every day, whether it's conscious or not." I reflected on my day-to-day existence and realized that my values were on the side of what was easy, or convenient for me, more often than I thought about what the impact would be on other people. I have reduced the amount of driving I do in order to reduce my carbon emissions (and hopefully alleviate global warming). I'm saving some money now, too. Ultimately I also realized that I couldn't stand by while children and their families all over the world lacked the means to a secure life and future. And I started to look into the Peace Corps. Ultimately, I decided to apply before Christmas, and have been working on my application since. Thinking about leaving my family and friends for two years is scary, but I know it's worth it for what I will do AND will get from it. I believe I'm able to contribute to the welfare of people who don't have access to the information, resources, education, or technology that I take for granted in the United States. I'm also looking forward to being a representative of the Unites States abroad, to talking about the rights I enjoy here and how I exercise them.