I'm sorry we have failed

Dear John,

We support you. We pray. We don our vehicles with yellow ribbons.

Anyway, I’m going to gas-up, drop off the kids, run to Wal-Mart, pick up dinner. You need anything? Armor?

How did this all begin? Why are you so far from home? What was for dinner tonight? What’s the night like?

I’m sorry we put you there away from your home and family… put life and death in your young hands… your family forever diseased by your absence. I‘m sorry for soundless slumber, loss of limb and life. Our government will not recognize the ghosts who’ll haunt your dreams and days.

We buy rhetoric unquestioningly. We don’t participate in government, busyness, cynicism, nihilism. We risk your life to defend Iraqi civilians who risk their lives to vote. We ignore the connections and histories of those who put you there. We accept a new definition of politicians as those who are greedy, do nothing and lie and ourselves as ineffectual and helpless: from school boards to national security. We fear speaking the truth. We’re inured to ignorance. I’m sorry we the people failed our individual responsibility.

Regretful begetter of war,

Danielle Hooper