DadTalk

Congressman to Push Reinstating the Draft

I began this website as a means to look at world news through parents’ eyes. In recent months, I’ve been having more fun exploring my family’s exploits and getting away from the rather depressing world we live in.

But sometimes events have a way of slapping you upside the head so hard your ears ring, eyes burn red and lips quiver.

Consider Rep. Charles Rangel’s plan to reintroduce the draft, reports The Washington Post. He’s been trying to get the draft passed for years, but now he will be in a position to accomplish his goal.

Why would a Democratic Congressman do such a thing? To make political leaders think twice before going to war, he says.

“There’s no question in my mind that this president and this administration would never have invaded Iraq, especially on the flimsy evidence that was presented to the Congress, if indeed we had a draft and members of Congress and the administration thought that their kids from their communities would be placed in harm’s way,” Rangel says.

Um, yeah, but um, we’re already at war, Mr. Rangel. A draft now will send America’s kids –OUR KIDS – to the very war you say shouldn’t exist.

Maybe your motives about scaring political leaders is sincere, but come off it, the rich and powerful will find ways around a draft. They always have. Not to mention you will scare billionaires with teenaged children to Canada or farther.

Along a similar vein, daggers to Sen. John McCain, who is also calling for more troops in Iraq. Hasn’t anyone read their Vietnam history? McCain was actually there, for goodness sakes. For those who are too young: Democratic President Lyndon Johnson and Gen. William Westmoreland kept throwing more and more troops into Vietnam and still lost.

Right now my kids are young enough that I don’t have to worry much about them getting drafted. I’m too old, but my nieces and nephews are in their prime. (I presume that any new draft would include girls as well as boys.)

Look, if my kids were drafted to fight for this nation’s very survival, I would be scared for them but could live with it. If my kids chose to join the military – I can’t say I would be happy about it – but that’s their prerogative.

But to be dragged into a war like Iraq, which was started under false pretenses? I don’t think so. So Mr. Rangel, please take that bill and burn it, now.

Letters to Seth How I Would Explain Terrorism, Human Nature to My Children

It’s eerie that just five weeks ago I was in London for my first-ever visit. Although I was never in the exact locations where the four subway and bus bombs went off, I had been in the general vicinity. We’re still waiting to hear from a friend, who works in the area, that she’s 0kay.

So far, Londoners are dealing with the terrorist attack with the steely calm they are famous for, reports the Los Angeles Times. “We are clearly shocked at what has happened today, but we are not surprised,” Deputy Assistant Commissioner Brian Paddick of the Metropolitan Police, tells the Times.

Back in the United States and especially in Los Angeles, security has been beefed up along public transit routes. The terrorist alert level is being raised to orange.

Amidst all this horrifying news, it’s important to consider how we explain these events to our children. In a way, I’m lucky because my son is only 3 and he’s not quite yet aware of world events, but here’s what I think I would say if he was old enough to understand:

“Seth,

“There is no justification for people who are committing these acts of terrorism. There is no great underlying principle behind their actions, just hate and the desire for power.

“People who hurt innocent bystanders just to invoke terror and fear are morally bankrupt. There is no great cause here because these people are not oppressed victims of the people they are attacking.

“Instead, a handful of wealthy ideologues are recruiting losers and malcontents to satisfy their own desires for power and control over society. The underlings who carry out attacks believe their religion and cause with such fervor, they’re willing to hurt and kill innocent people. And they are willing to listen to unscrupulous leaders who simply seek power themselves.

“Harboring and manipulating an extremist viewpoint has threatened civilization throughout history. Tragedies such as the Crusades and Holocaust illustrate the dangers of letting extremists gain power and control.

“But you must remember, that the goal of terrorists is to create fear in your heart and mind. If we succumb, another sort of extremist takes hold: those who feed fear to achieve their own sordid goals of wealth and power. As a result, hard-won freedoms and rights are discarded, which means the extremists on both sides win, and people like us, the folk in the middle, are the big losers.

“As you grow up, Seth, you will see extremist behavior not only in the world arena, but also your personal one. It might be something as annoying as evangelicals telling you what God to believe in to something as simple as peers pressuring you to get a tattoo. Or you might date someone who insists you bathe her in luxury and wealth.

“While these things may seem small when compared to the scope of today’s and past attacks, it’s important to remember that these terrorists – like the Nazis were – are actually small people, living small lives trying to becomes important or famous, even if by incredibly vicious means. They’ve gone beyond pushing their beliefs to punishing all those who do not agree.

“This is why it is essential that you approach life with flexibility. While you may believe you have found some inner truth, you may later discover some flaw that proves it is at least partially incorrect. That’s the way it should be. But had you pushed your “incorrect” truth on other people, you’ve done them a disservice that may last long beyond the time that you’ve realized your own mistake.

“On the other hand, there is nothing wrong with speaking up about your beliefs. We would never learn from one another if we didn’t share our knowledge and wisdom with friends. But share that knowledge to enrich lives, not to control or manipulate them. And when you listen to the knowledge and wisdom of those same people, your own life will be enriched.

“So as you grow up, remember always to look at the bigger picture of events such as the London terrorist attack and realize that a lot more is going on than just a battle against good and evil. We’re talking about human behavior and how it works. We’re talking about power. We’re talking about your own life. We’re talking about the future of mankind.”

Every Parent’s Worst Nightmare

The tragedy at Beslan School No. 1 in Russia is every parent’s worst nightmare. Journalists I know hardened by years of war and dead body photos couldn’t even look at the pictures of bleeding, charred children that were coming in over their computers.

There was one photo in particular where dead children were laid out in a row on a blood-stained tarp that haunted me. A mother cried over her dead daughter, whose face was still visible.

At least 340 hostages, 150 of them children, were killed in this disaster as of Saturday night, reports The Washington Post. About 700 more were wounded. With an estimated 1,200 hostages in the Russian school when the explosions and shooting began, more dead are expected to be found.

When all is said and done, it appears that the actual shooting started by accident, though stories still vary. In one account, one of the hostage-takers may have reacted to shooting by taking his foot off a pedal that was believed to be a bomb trigger.

“He let go of the pedal and tried to run away, but it blew up and killed him,” one young hostage told officials.

But it’s fairly clear the Russian commandos were caught off guard and unprepared when the final battle arrived. What’s crystal clear is that these hostage-takers have demonstrated a complete lack of conscience.

An acquaintance of mine suggested that it’s important to understand what would push people to commit such desperate acts. Although he refused to speculate on what might drive the hostage-takers to such insanity, the insinuation was that years of oppression by Russia was the underlying cause. He wasn’t arguing justification, just great enough understanding to stop this from ever happening again.

I suspect the families in Beslan don’t care a whit about understanding the gunmen’s motives. Indeed, the crowd ripped apart one of the fleeing hostage-takers; I doubt they paused for the gunman’s confessional or explanation.

And as much as I detest the oppression or brutalization of the Chechens or any other ethnic group, nothing can excuse using children as human shields. In the end, these terrorists have crossed a new line that may be repeated simply because the brutality seen in Beslan was so devastating. Indeed, the siege may become Russia’s 9/11.

And like in America, fear of another attack will be used as a tool to further erode freedoms in Russia and maybe elsewhere in the world. Already President Vladimir Putin is calling the tragedy “an attack against all of us,” reports The New York Times.

What will happen next is anyone’s guess, but none of this bodes well for a world of peace and prosperity. But I suspect a lot of parents out there are like us, thankful their children were home, healthy and safe.