In the late 1960s a growing number of people began to oppose the War in Vietnam. And just like the current skirmish, they argued over whether to call it a “war” or a “conflict.” Hell, when people on both sides are dying, who gives a rat’s ass what you call it? Dead is dead!

People hurled insults from both sides, and the catchy phrase which always comes up, “Well if you don’t love America, leave it,” was repeated. There was the Draft, and some people thought about it, and some actually left our country (Canada was an easy out.) rather than be drafted, and go fight in Vietnam. The Kent State shooting occurred in 1970 when some college students were protesting the war’s overflow into Cambodia. National Guard troops that had been called in, shot and killed 4 students and wounded 9 others. *I think that was the turning point for the United States to get out of Vietnam. It didn’t matter which side you were on. Killing our own, on our own soil, by our own military who were originally created to protect us, was sort of like ICE Agents killing U.S. citizens. It’s something that Americans just don’t want.

I don’t get the impression that this war will go on for 20 years, or that 50,000+ of our military will die in this conflict before someone gets some sense. *Old men usually get us into wars, and young men usually die because of it. And, rarely does anything good come from one of these smaller wars. WWII was the exception, but was a fight that brought the whole world into the struggle.

What should not be forgotten, but has been by some is that it doesn’t matter if you are Republican, Democrat or Independent, we are all Americans. Just because we don’t agree on how things should be done, or what we want the eventual outcome to be, only wanting things “our way,” is not right. I may not agree with you, but quite often compromise is necessary for the whole to survive and continue on. Do you get the idea that this hasn’t been the case for quite some time in America? Why do you think we have a Government Shutdown? Would it not be better for both sides to give something they really don’t want to give, in order that the Government continues to function? — Look to the Bible, for the story about Solomon (the wisest king) and the two women that each had babies. During the night, one of the babies died, and the mother of that child, switched children with the other mother. In the morning the other mother realizes that her baby has died, but then also realizes that that was not her child. They can’t agree and both are brought to King Solomon with the living child. In his wisdom he said, “Bring me a sword, and I’ll cut the child in two and give one half to each mother. That will be fair.” But the real mother of the child said, “No, give the child to her.” The real mother would rather have her child live and be with the other person, rather than be dead. — All that to say, America needs to survive, and cutting her in half isn’t what a loving person wants to do, or should do.

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