Swans


 

Strange Times In A Strange World

by David A. Garrett

August 26, 2002

 

The country is under weird times. Scientists are being questioned about links to the anthrax mailings, we are deciding whether or not to invade Iraq, the West Nile Virus is spreading, and I cannot find a good a George W. Bush mask anywhere in Knoxville. Yes, these are strange times in a strange world. College is just around the corner, and I have had to drop classes just to be able to afford it. I am going for Journalism, so that I may write like this and get paid for it. And I have no money for a laptop.

Paranoia fills me every time that I leave my home and go out into the open air knowing that somewhere lies a mosquito waiting to suck my blood and transmit a killer disease. But we cannot place the blame on the terrorists for this one, no sir. This is something that we will have to battle ourselves. Vaccines, and money may be our only protection from that damn Nile (which isn't in our country anyway!).

If we go into Iraq we are asking for trouble. Trouble that we young Americans do not want. We do not want to live in a four-year term where we are at war and the next person in line has to get the blame. We want peace and love and justice for all. Crazy it may seem that we could just end this silly Afghan war and beef up security around our borders and internally as well. But that would just be too easy. We have to flex our muscles for the world! It has to be difficult and costly. So that is why I am going to not shave my armpits for at lease eighty years. Although I will be dead by then, it is a good sign of peace.

One day in the near future, we will come to realize that war is not the answer. We will realize that we are not supposed to murder our neighbors, but love them. Love the bastards to death. Maybe if we had said we are sorry you feel that way towards us on 9/11 instead of kicking off a military campaign, they would have noticed how fucking nuts we really are and they would just go away. Sure, I loved the idea of imploding the mountains in Afghanistan and sending food to the citizens below. It is kind of like saying, "I want you well fed before you die." But maybe I'm wrong, maybe there won't be peace. Maybe we will keep fighting until the second coming, and maybe even though He will be back on Earth, we will continue fighting and we will feel His wrath.

I am tired of the news, I am tired of the radio, I am just plain tired. Let's finish this so-called war and then put the money back into our country where it belongs. Soon we will witness the end of the world. Soon we will see just how greedy and corrupt our government really is. The power to end the fighting lies in us. To use the power of the force for good. To end wars and end corruption.


 
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David A. Garrett, is attending a community college to study journalism and will transfer to the University of Tennessee to get his bachelor's degree. He lives in Knoxville, TN, enjoys reading, writing, listening to great classics (Pink Floyd, Doors, etc.), and cliff jumping.

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This Week's Internal Links

Gulf War II - by Gilles d'Aymery

The 1991 Gulf War Rationale - by Gilles d'Aymery

Open Letter on Iraq - by Edward S. Herman, Anthony Arnove, Rahul Mahajan & David Peterson

Iraq: A Formula For The Future - by Philip Greenspan

Zimbabwe Under Siege - by Gregory Elich

Enduring Enmity, Radio And America: Field Marshall Lord Kitchener - by Milo Clark

Seeing 3 C's in the Caribbean Sea: Castro, Cuba and Communism - by Philip Greenspan

One Of Us - by Alma Hromic

Talking Past Congress - by Deck Deckert

Tree Folk - by Michael Stowell

Relative Value - by Milo Clark

Going Home: viii - Ancient Ashes - Poem by Alma Hromic

 


Published August 26, 2002
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