at 20

“I was 20 when I killed my first person, then that night I killed 50 other people”. An American Iraqi War Veteran quietly reported what he remembers when he was 20. Since his first kill this Veteran has since suffered from all kind of unimaginable nightmares, recalls, and remorse unless of course you also at the age of 20 killed your first person and then all of that is very imaginable.

At 20 I was a junior in college. I had come close to being drafted to fight in the Viet Nam War, and when my Lottery number was never called was quite relieved. At 20 whenever I saw the bodies of the fallen from the  Viet Nam War I had to look the other way. At 62, my current age I have never killed anyone. I have no idea if I ever could kill anyone.

Mitt Romney, if elected wants to revive the Cold War with Russia, invade Iran, and have our foot soldiers at the ready in the Middle East. Mr. Romney believes a strong America is an America at the ready having its Troops on the frontline. Mitt Romney was a draft dodger during the Viet Nam War, seeking four deferments instead of serving in the military. (He felt it more Patriotic to proselytize for the Church of Latter Day Saints in France.) He felt his Church’s calling came before his own enlistment, (perhaps Patriotism was cooler in France, cause it sure was safer). Mitt Romney has five sons, all of which are not currently enlisted in the military nor ever were. None of Mitt’s sons, like me or Mitt or Mitt’s father ever killed anyone at the age of 20.

I am not pro war nor anti war. I try to understand its purposes and try even harder to realize the consequences of not waging war. I am a history buff and have read essay and passage about the why’s wherefore’s and what’s of war.  There are facts to substantiate wars, propaganda galore to encourage the fighting of the battles, speeches by doves and hawks to make you wonder for eons what is right what is wrong. 

But today, for the first time I heard a man say he killed his first person at the age of 20. And I had no idea, no comprehension, could not fathom what that part of war felt like. I never read about that aspect of war, viewed film about the war or spoke to anyone who spoke to me about the first time they killed a person while fighting a war. 

There are many issues of topic on the minds of Americans this election season. We are told by wealthy people, poor people are poor because they are lazy. We are told by heterosexuals, that only they know how to love and only they can marry. We are told by individuals that since they can afford health care everyone else should do the same or stop complaining. We are told by many people war is necessary, but many of these ideologues, individuals, interested parties have never, ever, ever killed a person at the age of 20. 

If I have never been hungry, if I have never been homeless, if I have never been ill, if i have never been Black or Gay, if I have never fought in a war, if I had never had an unwanted pregnancy, if I have NEVER been any of those and so many hundred things other, I must also NEVER be so arrogant as to think my life is better this permitting me to believe I am better than they. Or know how to lecture them on how to live that life.

I believe the election this year on November, 2012 has become more about knowing less of the American and thinking you know better. It has come down to my way or n way at all. How frightening is that, how inhuman.

When the Veteran spoke about killing his first person at the age of 20, I have no idea how that felt or how he still feels. But, I do know I want to consider what he has experienced and face the facts he sees every day.