Getting it

I'm especially encouraged when I see young people who display an understanding that many on the left, supposedly older and wiser, don't.

A couple of days ago I linked to Farris Hassan's essay detailing the reasons why he felt compelled to go to Iraq:

There is a struggle in Iraq between good and evil, between those striving for freedom and liberty and those striving for death and destruction. You are aware of the heinous acts of the terrorists: Women and children massacred, innocent aid workers decapitated, indiscriminate murder. You are also aware of the heroic aspirations of the Iraqi people: liberty, democracy, security, normality. Those terrorists are not human but pure evil. For their goals to be thwarted, decent individuals must answer justice's call for help ... So I will.

It's a refreshing perspective.  A young man who sees black and white, good and evil, plainly and unequivocally.

Unlike Mike Lukovich of the Atlanta Journal Constitution.  His October 26th editorial cartoon displays his... confusion... while using the names of America's fallen in Iraq.

Thankfully, there are young people like Danielle Ansley who aren't as confused.

She also wrote:

The first time I saw Mike Luckovich’s drawing of the word “WHY?”, made up of the names of 2,000 troops killed in Iraq, was when my mother was putting it up on our refrigerator. It bothered me that no one did a response showing how others feel. On Nov. 8, I got an updated list of the names of the war dead and started writing them, spelling out “FREEDOM.” Six days later, it was done. I only worked on it in my free time at school. It took me about 12 hours to get it done, so needless to say I devoted many of my classes to this, and stayed late after school to work on it. I didn’t take it home and show it to my mother until I had prints made. She and I have different views of things. She said that, as a mother, she didn’t like it that so many people have been killed. She was not happy when I placed my work next to Luckovich’s “WHY?” on the fridge, but it hasn't been taken down. I may seem as if I am too young to have an opinion on matters like these. I am not saying that my opinion is right, for an opinion is just that — someone’s views on something. But, like a child’s voice, an opinion is often not heard.

Let's hope more people like Danielle and Farris make their voices heard in the coming year.

Let's hope.

H/T to the Bloggoddess.

Comments

[Godless US Soldier]

The kid's certainly got a set on him. Not too bright, but then again rich kids generally don't learn the whole lesson about consequences until later in life (if ever). I salute his bravery, and I would love to read what he has to write now that he's seen a small portion of what's going on over here.
I wonder if it will be substantially different from what I have seen both the first time I came here and this time. Personally I haven't seen much change, myself, except that we have had to recapture two towns I used to fly into relatively safely when I was here the first time.

[Rick]

G.U.S.,

Praying for your safe return.