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A Season of Tears
The morning sun shines through the window, sounds of songbirds signal the coming spring. The smell of frying bacon fills the air as a new day dawns in America. In the dining room window a blue star is proudly displayed, indicating a son or daughter called into military service. A mother busies herself setting the breakfast table, pausing to take notice of an empty chair. As she completes her morning chores the spring symphony is interrupted by the sound of a ringing phone, she looks at her watch and thinks, "my this is early for a call, wonder who it could be?" She wipes her hands on her apron, picks up the receiver, "hello" she says in a soft southern voice. The color rushes from her face, her knees quiver, finally giving away until she collapses into a heap upon the floor, between sobs she has only one question, "Why?"
America's Gold Star Mothers began in 1917 when an Army Captain, Robert L. Queissner designed a flag honoring his two sons service during World War One. The idea quickly caught on and in September of 1917 an Ohio Congressman read into the congressional record, "The mayor of Cleveland, the Chamber of Commerce and the governor of Ohio have adopted this service flag. The world should know of those who give so much for liberty. The dearest thing in all the world to a father and mother -- their children". The idea quickly swept the nation; mothers from all over the country proudly displayed the flags with the blue star in their windows. With the rising death toll during World War One a new flag was needed, mothers began sewing a gold star over the blue one indicating the loss of a child. President Wilson, in a letter affirming his support coined the phrase, "Gold Star Mothers", thus beginning the tradition.
As America grew, so did its need for Gold Stars, mothers continued to send their children off to war, some didn't return. With the dawn of a new millennium behind us America once again finds itself in need of Gold Stars, mothers and fathers find themselves shipping not only their sons, but also their daughters to fight in a civil war far from home. It is not the patriotism that comes into question, we all know the patriotism these families possess, it is the reasons their sons and daughters are dying on the battlefield that must be addressed. Its time the supporters of this president and his Global/Religious domination of the world hear the voices of these mothers. They can no longer hide behind their leader, wrapped in an American flag, while mothers weep.
"For four years there has been throughout this broad land little else than the anguish of anxiety--the misery over dear ones sacrificed--for nothing!" (Emily Le Conte April 16, 1865) While the tools of war have changed throughout the years the feeling of loss and despair has not. Mothers and fathers wait by the phone, and watch, with the "anguish of anxiety", the daily reports from Iraq. A new American patriotism exists, one bourn from the tragedy of 9-11. While no evidence exists for an Iraq connection to 9-11 this president continues to use "the war on terror" as an impetus to war in Iraq. It's this confusion that causes conflict to those that have made the ultimate sacrifice. "I still don't know what to feel, I'm angry as hell and I'm proud as hell, everyone says my son's a hero, and I didn't want him to be a hero." (Cathy Neighbor on loosing her son Gavin, age 20)
The loss of a loved one has no borders, or political barriers. Pain does not have a religion nor a language, its shared throughout the global community. Mothers on both sides of the conflict feel pain of war.
"Sisters, I know how painful it is for a woman to lose someone dear. I can feel your pain. For we, Iraqi women, have lost too much, and have suffered what no mother on the face of the earth has. For example, when your government imposed the unjust embargo on our country, we had to watch our children everyday dying from lack of medicine. Because of the weapons of mass destruction your soldiers used, especially depleted uranium, we had to carry babies in our wombs for nine months only to see them born severely deformed. As if all this was not enough for your government, it topped all it off with a war that it launched under false pretexts just to control our wealth, our oil and resources. And it was a brutal war in which many of our children were killed and many others were arrested, both sons and daughters" (A Letter from an Iraqi Mother to the Mothers of the Americans Killed in Fallujah)
The media, and our government portray the citizens of Fallujah as animals, showing us the atrocities committed there. What they have held from us is the reason for such hatred for our troops,
"I call upon you because we are sisters in motherhood. The American media described us with as "barbarians", "savages", and "criminals" in the aftermath of the mob lynching scenes of the bodies of charred Americans in Fallujah, as Iraqis beat on dead bodies then hung them off a bridge. But the American media does not want you to know the true picture against which those scenes took place, nor does it want to let you know why Iraqis did this thing. The media does not want you to know the extent to which Iraqis have come to hate the soldiers of the occupation for them to act like this." (Iraqi Mother to the Mothers of the Americans Killed in Fallujah)
While its true that many in America will see this Mother in Iraq as the enemy, it would be heartless to not have some compassion for her loss. Patriotism and compassion can coexist within each of us.
"It is time for all people of conscience to call upon America to return to her true home of brotherhood and peaceful pursuits. We cannot remain silent as our nation engages in one of history's most cruel and senseless wars. America must continue to have, during these days of human travail, a company of creative dissenters. We need them because the thunder of their fearless voices will be the only sound stronger than the blasts of bombs and the clamour of war hysteria." (Martin Luther King, Feb. 25, 1967)
Perhaps the Vietnam War brought out the Mother's voice more than any other time in history, after all it was the first war brought into our living rooms via the nightly news. Mothers and Fathers, sisters and brothers saw soldiers wounded by battle, and flag draped coffins for the first time. "For Mother's Day, Give us back our sons", (Protest banner from a Wisconsin mother against the Vietnam War) The pain and suffering transcends borders as well as time, mothers throughout the ages have felt the loss of loved ones in battle.
As we enter this new conflict its time to hear the voices, the mothers who have made the greatest sacrifice. Democrat, or republican, liberal or conservative, we need to hear their voices, we should feel their pain.
"My son died for absolutely nothing, Seth died for President Bush's personal vendetta." (Sue Niederer, at the loss of her son Seth)
"He didn't even make it to Baghdad, he thought he was going to be able to go in and kick some butt and get out." (Jean Prewett speaking of her son Kelly, 24)
"I am not resentful of the president, but I do not find him truthful, I do not find him credible, I do not find him statesmanlike, I do not find bombing countries and calling people names an effective technique either for fighting terrorism or conducting foreign policy." (Rosemarie Dietz Slavenas who lost her son Brian)
"Dear Mr Bush, On Christmas when you sat down to a turkey dinner, my son was making chili in a cook pot, using food I sent him, when you put on your gloves to go outside, think of my son who doesn't have work gloves to wear in Iraq, unless I send them to him." (Anonymous letter)
"When you speak of sacrifices, what do you picture? Do you picture apple-cheeked wives going out to sell war bonds or become Rosie the Riveter? Because that is not the reality of the sacrifices currently being made by military families…" (Jessica Salamon, Wife of a National Guard Soldier in a letter to bush)
Storm clouds build in the distance; the smell of rain fills the house. The only light shines through the partially drawn drapes. A mother sits alone, on the couch sewing a gold star onto a flag, a tear falls upon material and slowly soaks in.
Michael Harris
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