Still allowed to dream. About love.

Doing my patriotic duty this Memorial Day weekend. Not by honoring the war dead. But by thinking about the worst invention of mankind. War. I’m fortunate. In that I’ve never had to go to war.  Or really experience its devastation directly. Able to hold war at a distance.  Even when serving in the Army. As a sportswriter for the Third Armored Division’s weekly newspaper. In Germany. Sure, there have been a few ups and downs in life. But nothing terribly devastating. Always able to cope. Having learned to distance myself from the ravages.  I'm grateful. Most likely, I’ll never have to die for my country. It’ll be a natural death.  Although, come to think of it. War has become all-too-natural. The U.S. just came off 13 continuous years of war. Seldom a nation at peace. Even in the nation's capitol. Our politicians engage in continuous acrimonious war. With each other. Despicable, hateful stuff. Our nation was founded, too, on the basis of  hate and inequality. A slave economy. Didn’t give blacks basic civil rights until the 1960s. And still, they are denied. In more subtle ways. But many, many Americans are expert and clever at overlooking our many, many inhumane shortcomings. Distancing ourselves from the truth. Proclaiming America as the greatest 'democracy' on Earth. We are supposed to be proud to be Americans. I don’t buy that.  We could be a lot better. Greatness will come only when we find an alternative to war and inequality. I’m a pessimist. That day will never come. But I’m also a romantic idealist. Still allowed to dream.  About true love. –Jim Broede