March 29 – Joys, War, and Death

March 29, 2023 TwoWritingTeachers.org

Besides making tostadas for my sister and me, taking a walk around Abel’s Mountain, and spending an hour with my grandson while he spun in circles on his tummy and ate a good dinner, I also had some difficult issues on my mind.

Because of a movie he saw recently, my husband has been thinking of the futility of war, and especially how it relates to what Putin is doing in Ukraine We had this conversation this morning:

“I can’t get All Quiet on the Western Front out of my mind. Aggression in war is so foolish. Why…? Pride…? Stupidity…? Evil…?” my husband mused.

“Yes,” I said.

“There is never a good outcome,” he said. Then he played this song for us to listen to: (lyrics here)

The other thing on my mind, of course, is gun violence. Yesterday, six more people were gunned down in school: Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, and William Kinney, each 9 years old; and Cynthia Peak, 61, Katherine Koonce, 60, and Mike Hill, 61. May they rest in peace. I wrote a letter to my Republican representative today asking him to be brave and do the right thing. You can read a copy here, if you want to.

I can’t believe all the gaslighting that goes on for schools to keep having lockdown drills and expecting our children to plan to get shot up in school. This is ludicrous and does not happen in other countries. When are we going to demand action?

How do you interpret this cartoon? Has this phrase become an idol?
I think Congress and the Courts need to spend more time rethinking what this line means

I am participating in the March Slice of Life Challenge: A slice a day for all of March. Thank you, Two Writing Teachers!

8 thoughts on “March 29 – Joys, War, and Death

  1. Denise, I too am troubled by the continued violence and preventable killings. Three nine year olds. Three children who will not see two digits in their years of age. And three adults who have worked hard all their lives and were, certainly, on the cusp of retirement and being able to go reap the enjoyment years for serving through their lives in the field of education. That just hurts my heart. I’m glad you wrote this post – it makes us stop and think, to be reminded, that we must take action for change – thank you for writing this!

  2. Denise,
    Depraved politicians do not care about children. They will not change. They have given their hearts over to the depravity of their own minds. I’m sure you know my allusion. These evil people must be voted out. It is the only hope we have. In regard to Putin: I’ve recently begun thinking his motives in Ukraine are largely driven by climate change. Russia is poised to become the largest food producing country. This is in part because the Siberian permafrost is melting. Ukraine is a big wheat producing country. By controlling Ukraine, Russia will dominate world food production. This is power, power greater than armaments. I realized this after reading Nomad Nation, and it sent chills down my spine. Like republican politicians who refuse to choose to end gun carnage, Putin is a depraved person, and you know what God says about depravity.

  3. Denise, your fears are warranted. The violence that is placing the world in chaos is heartwrenching. Does war solve problems? It appears not. Today, my family went on an amazing guided tour of the Manassas battlefield. The guide was a knowledgeable storyteller. He brought new thoughts of young boys on both sides of the Civil War who died on these hallowed grounds. Thanks for the song. I am tucking it and the lyrics inside my digital journal.

  4. I read your letter to your representative and it was a wonderfully written statement on where you stand, independently, and where the future of the GOP is heading. Your call for action at the end was strong and I hope that it joins thousands of letters in your rep’s mailbox and that somehow we move into a safer space as a country.

  5. Thank you for posting this. We need change and no one in power os brave enough to make it!

  6. Thank you for sharing these troubling thoughts, voicing what I am thinking about, too. I have been crying about the most recent school shooting; I feel so helpless. Why are we so obsessed with banning books and people but not weapons of war? “All Quiet on the Western Front” is powerful, and I understand why your husband is feeling all the more frustrated and questioning about Putin’s war, since this viewing. Thank you for your call to action, Denise.

  7. Thank you for sharing, Denise. The world we live in is unfathomable. Outside the home, parents should be able to trust that schools are one of the safest places for their children. Teachers shouldn’t shy away from the profession in fear of their lives. With the inevitability of a real lock down, I can’t help but thinking when it will happen, not if. How will I respond physiologically? How will I keep 12 year olds calm in the silence we must keep? I’m scared to even think of darker questions. Like so many things recently, we are living in times I never thought we would see.

  8. I completely agree with you that our leaders need to act. I’m sick to death of their pandering. Thanks for using your voice to promote change. My heart is so heavy today.

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