On this ANZAC Day, let us not forget the horror of war and let us abandon the talk of glory, sacrifice and heroes. Let us abandon the myth that death and mangled bodies, lost lives and fractured families is the foundation on which our country was born. A country born in blood needs blood to continue to give it meaning, the blood of soldiers, refugees and the indigenous.
It is time to get real and find a new reason for our being or we will continue to need war and blood as a sacrifice for our sins.
Emotional Event
(War In Afghanistan 2)
(A reflection on the dehumanised
nature of the modern video war where people do not exist as victims but only as
collateral damage)
I read in the paper
just a couple of innocuous lines
planted almost hidden
camouflaged amongst a battalion of words
the following
“… the 2000 pound bomb that went astray would
cause ‘ a significant emotional event’
for any one within a square mile…”
then it all became clear to me
war is not about death
people do not die in war
they only suffer emotional events
collateral damage
insignificant
unnoticed
not even counted as a statistics
they were not even there
like the poor
victims of the Great Fire of London
on the illegal immigrants
on September 11
not dead
not included
forgotten
ignored
somehow responsible for their own misery
yes death is a significant emotional event
for all human beings
especially when hit by a
rogue
wayward
homeless
2000 pound bomb
