[WonderlandAlli]

I wouldn't encourage my child to fight in a war, but I think that if I had a kid that wanted to, and who felt that for him/her it was the right decision, I wouldn't feel like I had the right to stop him/her. I had lots of friends that joined the army right after Sept 11th, when we were seniors in high school and 18. I didn't like the idea, but I didn't feel like I had the place to stop them from defending something they hold dear. I feel like I can protest the war and support my friends' decisions at the same time.

So parents raising the children with the values of sacrifice for any reason for those kinds of conflicts is senseless!

Again, friends of mine that feel the army, marines, navy, or air force was a positive things in their life wouldn't feel like they're doing wrong giving that impression to their children. The most I would be able to do is suggest to the child, if it was asked, what do YOU feel you want to do? My grandfathers were both navy men, but I don't want to join the navy, though I grew up listening to the stories of one grandfather's experiences, and despite them often being exciting stories to a little girl. Just because someone is an influence who was in armed combat doesn't mean that they will convince their descendent's its what should be done.


Many people in the macrobiotic community, for instance could have children old enough to go fight in Iraq.

My guess is that very few if any of these people have children embroiled in that conflict!

Be careful not to assume things about a group of people based on a guess.

And regarding post number nine, if impoverished people never had children, the world would never had known Beethoven. He was one of 7 children, 4 of which who died in childhood, in a family with no men bringing in income because the grandfather died and his father became a drunkard, sounds like they weren't contributing to society, eh?? This doesn't mean I encourage people who are poor and already have a few kids to keep having more, but if they do, its their business and I'm not gonna go around telling them they have to have an abortion because I personally dislike the way they live and feel they shouldn't be allowed to reproduce.

Yes, I support freedom of the individual and not a totalitarian government or society telling individuals what to do!

You say it now, but I can't believe you, because its so opposite of post 9 and the ideas you gave off between the lines. It feels like you believe in it so long as it follows your personal ideals.

I avoided the draft (in 1968) by standing up straight, putting me two inches over the height limit and earning me a 1-Y deferment, and had I raised children I would have taught them to avoid stupid conflicts both here and in other lands.

How about you?

Please note the following is coming from compassion, and is not an attack: I suggest you do some healing work around that. The draft was a desperate move, and shouldn't have happened, people agree that now. And attempts at drafts in 9/11 were prevented by the voice of the people crying out WE DONT WANT THIS! And yes, we know how bad a draft is by the experiences of those who were forced into it, and like all wrongs it should not be forgotten, but you seem to me to be very bitter, Bruce. It's not good to carry the anger from all those years ago.