Cameron Parham

You state "Even with love and support a parent's disappointment is hard to live with." I certainly agree with that. Yet I also suspect that at times this is the best a parent of an adult can do. Once our kids are adults of course they may (will) make decisions we don't understand. Maybe they'll even send their kids to public school! I said that some of their decisions may couse me grief, which I feel is not synonymous with disappointment. Disappointment implies judgement. Grief is normal sadness, and if feelings are real and natural in our kids, aren't they so in us as well?
With regards to whether military personnel desire peace and deserve honor for risking their lives, I know they do. I also know that many young people, the very ones actually out there, don't realize what they are in for until they are asked to shoot civilians (this happens in every war, whether it's admitted or not), or are sitting in a tank with their friend's severed leg across their laps and his fat on their face. (This happened to my friend's son, and my friend is a Viet Nam vet.)These kids are irrevocably harmed even if they return without a sctatch on them. I beieve that they are lied to by our culture and sacrificed willingly. I also believe that most military personnel, though I honor them, are unaware of being caught up in a big human lie. That's my opinion, and I have a right to it, as you have a right to yours. My friends whose husbands have gone to our current war have never heard a word out of me like this because it would hurt them and be of no support or
comfort. I'll say no more on this subject.
I think when replying to a post, if any of us are tempted to change the person's wording (such as changing grief to disappointment) it may mean that the reply does not directly answer the question.


----- Original Message ----
From: "kbcdlovejo@..." <kbcdlovejo@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Monday, March 12, 2007 8:56:24 AM
Subject: Re: [unschoolingbasics] Re: Learning without books

-----Original Message-----
From: acsp2205@yahoo. com

What would happen if one of my kids joined the army, or killed
someone, I would
grieve, and they would know it because we have that kind of honesty
between us.
But I would never withdraw my love and support, and I think they know
that.

-=-=-=-=-

Even with love and support, a parent's disappointment is hard to live
with.

And keep in mind that joining the service does NOT mean the child will
ever have to kill. Nor does it mean he's aggressive or violent.

All the military men and women I know want PEACE (I do know there are
exceptions to that---but not among the *many* folks I know). Just
because they *will* lay down their lives for you doesn't mean they
*want* to!

~Kelly

Kelly Lovejoy
Conference Coordinator
Live and Learn Unschooling Conference
http://www.LiveandL earnConference. org

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