Great teaching aid as to Why we wnt to war with Iraq

E-Mail | April 8th, 2003 | Unknown

[ICE-FLYER]

Why?

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 told him:

"Son, stand there and tell me what you see?"

"I see trees and cars and our neighbors 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 see that man come out of his house with his wife and 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 crying, they are watching this but do nothing because they are kids and afraid of their father. You see all of this son....what do you do?"

"Dad?"

"What do you do son?!"

"I call the police, Dad."

"OK. Pretend that the police are the United Nations and they take your call, 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 he 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 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 need it....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 husbands questions and he tells him.... "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 my son to his chest and hugs him tight, and cries..."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. You have to do what's right, even if you have to do it alone, before......it's 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 is the greatest EVIL of all. Our President is doing what is right. We, as a free nation, must understand that this war is a war of humanity. WE must remove this evil man from power so that we can continue to live in a free world where we are not afraid to look out> our window and see crimes on humanity. So that my nine year old son won't grow up in a world where he feels that if he just "closes" that blinds the atrocities in the world won't affect him. Today the second day of "WAR on IRAQ"

I felt compelled to write this and pass it along. Hopefully, you will understand the lesson my husband tried to teach our son.

"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 PRESIDENT! BE PROUD OF OUR TROOPS!! SUPPORT THEM!!! SUPPORT AMERICA!! SO THAT IN THE FUTURE OUR CHILDREN WILL NEVER HAVE TO CLOSE THEIR BLINDS...."

[ICE-FLYER]

It may have already been posted but I could not find it. I found it very compelling.

[AgThorn]

Wow! this put tears in my eyes!! Wonderful! posted before or not, worth repeating!!

[Ed Burke]

"All that is necessary for the forces of evil to win in the world is for enough good men to do nothing." --Edmund Burke

[ChadsDad]

Why people post (old) emails I'll never understand...

[freemama]

Amen.

[Liberal Classic]

You should put some links in that post to the Red Cross and other organizations which take donations for the troops, in addition to the FR donate page. It's kind of cheesey to wax poetic about donating some money to supporting the troops, but only providing a link to support FR.

Such as:

the Red Cross's Donate page.

and

Operation USO Care Package.

The military runs their own relief agencies also. There are the:

Army Emergency Relief Fund,

The Air Force Aid Society

Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society

and the Coast Guard Mutual Assistance League.

All of those are 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations which help veterans and their dependants.

So, I'm not saying that you shouldn't donate to FR. But if you're going to invoke the name of the armed forces and appeal to supporting the troops, I expect something constructive towards that end. Feel free to include these links in your future posts.

Thanks,

LC

[sirshackleton]

"Contemplate the mangled bodies of your countrymen, and then say, What should be the reward of such sacrifices? … If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquillity of servitude than the animating contest of freedom — go from us in peace. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you."

-Samuel Adams

[omega4412]

Isn't this just the parable of the Good Samaritan?


And by chance there came down a certain Frenchman that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

And likewise a United Nations General Secretary, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.

But a certain American imperialist cowboy, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,

And went to him, and freed him of his oppressor, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own APC, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

[Zavien Doombringer]

Wow, very touching! Here I am 6'3" all of 255lbs and can bench 325, yet this piece has made me cry. I am sitting at my desk with tears in my eyes and my co-workers were laughing at me, until I had them read this too...
This should be sent to an editor of a newspaper! I know it would be printed in the Virginian Pilot, here in Hampton roads.

[ICE-FLYER]

Why people post (old) emails I'll never understand...

Dial 1-800 GET OVER IT. I can't believe you would waste the time to say such a shallow thing. What, are we to now stand in awe of your having seen this sooooo much earlier than others?? Are we such simple people that something like this is only allowed to be said once thus if you miss it you are not to repeat it?? Much of what you see here is the result of people getting a tip in their e-mail Chad. What the heck is the purpose of your reply, Chad?? I mean if I am wrong as to your intent then please tell me.

[zeaal]

Thanks for posting.

[Quix]

THIS is at least the 4th posting.

One has been deleted which also had formatting problems.

It's worth plenty of exposure.

Perhaps searching for Irma S Chambers would have worked. I don't know. I didn't search because my sources are very rarely posted on FR. I get out of the habit.

Anyway--It IS a great piece.

Blessings,

[Quix]

Because they

touch/resonate with their hearts or some important part of their person and/or lives

and they want to share the blessing.

I'm not sure what's so difficult to understand about that.

Sometimes the source doesn't matter a lot if the piece is worthy enough on it's own merits.

[Quix]

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Getting nitty gritty!

Wish there were a handy way to stuff that up

. . . their noses.

Great response.

Thanks.

[Cyber Liberty]

Why people post (old) emails I'll never understand...

To pi$$ you off is why.