Foreign Policy

Wow ... I just deleted a whole paragraph. I started to explain my position(s) on American foreign policy and ... well, this isn't the place for it. Why? Because I don't know you (pl.), and the issue is so charged. The war in Iraq has people on both sides of the issue fired up.

I don't feel ready to receive hateful commentary from pacifists, military zealots, or anyone in between. I guess now I'll just receive it from people who are angry because I've refused to "take a stand." That's fine. I pay taxes, and I vote in every election (local, state, and national). I sent mail and prayers over to Iraq. I tried hard to prepare myself for the possibility that a loved one might be returned to my family like freight cargo, in a metal box, with a flag draped over it. Thankfully, he came back to us alive. Different, but still alive.

I am saddened when I think of those who lose life or limb in combat. I am so glad I didn't join the Marine Corps. I almost did ... I was young, angry, and had a hell of a lot to prove. Those aren't good enough reasons to become a Marine. Not for me at least.

We are shaped by our experiences as individuals. I wonder what type of person I would have become had I joined. I wonder how the experience of me leaving would have affected my family and friends. Are they better off because I stayed? I think so ... I hope so. I really do.