Yesterday was the celebration of Memorial day.  Not only do I appreciate and revere the men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice, but those who live in the aftermath of wounds that are unspeakable.  And those whose lives are forever torn apart by the mental wounds of war.  Wounds from each and every war we have sent men and women to fight. 

The reason Viet Nam was such a divisive war at home was because of the draft. The effect was that every family lived in dread of the draft and the war touched people across the board of the country.  Young people rose up in protest at the entire idea of being sent to fight a war they didn't want to fight.  They won.

We are in a peculiar military situation at this time in our history.  We haven't declared war this time.  Never before have we seen the kind of war we are in.  Undeclared.  And fought by mercenaries--people recruited to fight war.  This war has been going on for years and years and years.  No draft.  No equal exposure across America.  A war that only affects a few, not the whole nation.  People are irritated, but not at risk.  To be at risk, you have to sign up with the military.

It is unprecedented.  Nobody who takes part in this battle knows what the objective is--they don't know when they have won.  Or lost. They just keep going back overseas again and again waging war against Who?  What? Destroying but not conquering.  Trying to scoop up water with a pitchfork.

The people who are fighting this war--mostly young men--weren't called to serve a grateful nation.  No, they joined.  They walked into a recruiting station and took a job.  They go fight; return home, only to be sent back again and again and again.  It is no wonder PTSD is rampant.  

This will go on forever unless we declare war against somebody, something, somewhere, and institute the draft.  Then the people of America will speak.