Heart for justice
Charlie is listening to bands that are protesting the war...I'm a child of the 60's and 70's, so I can relate to this. Absolutely. I, too, am against the war. Though I know that there are those who, for whatever reasons, are in favor of war, I thank God that I can not relate to them. However, what I am is pro justice. And, again, being a child of the 60's and 70's, I know that justice isn't free, but it is something worth fighting for.
Charlie has taken my pictures of Martin Luther King, Jr. and hung them in his room. He has the American flag, that my grandmother was given at my grandad's funeral, hanging up, framed, in his room. Because of these things, I know that his heart is filled with a love for justice that has been passed down to him by generations of those who found it worth fighting for.
When I was pregnant with Charlie, I sat on the floor while watching Eyes On The Prize, the series depicting the struggle for racial equality profiling MLK, Jr., with my hand on my belly, praying that Charlie would never be able to turn his back on some one in need. Through the years I've had the boys watch this series quite a few times.
He's heard my Dad tell him stories of lying about his age so that he could join the Navy. How he dropped out of high school so that he could do what he believed in, and came back after the war to finish high school (older and wiser) with a class much younger than he.
What I've tried to instill in my boys is that as long as someone is being denied justice, setting back and accepting it simply because it isn't on your doorstep is the same thing as siding with those denying others of the right of justice. I have seen both of my kids hold up for others at the risk of getting into trouble themselves, and I'm always proud of them. We've taught them to only fight back in defense of themselves if there is no other action to take, so it's not like we've ever supported violence of any kind. But, there are so many, for whatever reason, that will be beaten down with no chance of being able to get up on their own, unless someone takes a selfless stand to help them.
Charlie (who will be 15 in December) talks about joining the military after high school and going to college afterwards. Do I want him to do this...not with any part of my being. Will I support him...absolutely. I asked Charlie yesterday why he wants to join the service if he is so against war. My baby said 'because I see how much the soldiers are helping the kids and the people in Iraq.' (We read on-line MIL blogs such as: http://www.dixiesappers.org/hhc/journal/archive.html, http://iraq.billhobbs.com/archives/006272.html, http://waynesworld2005.blogspot.com/, http://uppermansblog.blogspot.com/)
I love this kid. I am proud of him. And...I support him, even in his choice of bands.
Charlie has taken my pictures of Martin Luther King, Jr. and hung them in his room. He has the American flag, that my grandmother was given at my grandad's funeral, hanging up, framed, in his room. Because of these things, I know that his heart is filled with a love for justice that has been passed down to him by generations of those who found it worth fighting for.
When I was pregnant with Charlie, I sat on the floor while watching Eyes On The Prize, the series depicting the struggle for racial equality profiling MLK, Jr., with my hand on my belly, praying that Charlie would never be able to turn his back on some one in need. Through the years I've had the boys watch this series quite a few times.
He's heard my Dad tell him stories of lying about his age so that he could join the Navy. How he dropped out of high school so that he could do what he believed in, and came back after the war to finish high school (older and wiser) with a class much younger than he.
What I've tried to instill in my boys is that as long as someone is being denied justice, setting back and accepting it simply because it isn't on your doorstep is the same thing as siding with those denying others of the right of justice. I have seen both of my kids hold up for others at the risk of getting into trouble themselves, and I'm always proud of them. We've taught them to only fight back in defense of themselves if there is no other action to take, so it's not like we've ever supported violence of any kind. But, there are so many, for whatever reason, that will be beaten down with no chance of being able to get up on their own, unless someone takes a selfless stand to help them.
Charlie (who will be 15 in December) talks about joining the military after high school and going to college afterwards. Do I want him to do this...not with any part of my being. Will I support him...absolutely. I asked Charlie yesterday why he wants to join the service if he is so against war. My baby said 'because I see how much the soldiers are helping the kids and the people in Iraq.' (We read on-line MIL blogs such as: http://www.dixiesappers.org/hhc/journal/archive.html, http://iraq.billhobbs.com/archives/006272.html, http://waynesworld2005.blogspot.com/, http://uppermansblog.blogspot.com/)
I love this kid. I am proud of him. And...I support him, even in his choice of bands.
posted by kathi | 2:36 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home