FACEBOOK PATRIOTISM AND THE WAR EFFORT

Death finally brings war home to me
By Kelvin Wade August 26, 2010

Last week, as Cathi was getting ready for work, we were talking about a former co-worker of hers who had a son in the military in Afghanistan. He'd been on multiple deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. We talked about the transition to civilian life for him when he comes home after being there for so long and so many tours.

Ten minutes after Cathi left for work, my phone rang. It was Cathi calling to tell me her co-worker's son had been killed in Afghanistan. It was eerie that we'd just been talking about him.

Chief Special Warfare Operator Collin Thomas, 33, was a Navy Seal killed in combat operations in eastern Afghanistan. This fallen war hero had earned three Bronze Stars with combat 'V,' a Purple Heart, and numerous other medals and commendations.

I was surprised how hard his death hit me. I didn't know him and never met Cathi's co-worker.

What was bothering me crystallized when I posted this tragedy on Facebook and a friend commented, 'This is horrible. I thought the war was over . . .'

The fact is we're still flowing troops into Afghanistan on our way to 100,000. And even though we pulled all 'combat' troops out of Iraq last week, we still have nearly 50,000 troops there.

And I'll have a grande, nonfat, three pump Toffee Nut latte with whip.

The public isn't engaged in these conflicts. In previous wars, the public couldn't help but be engaged. In World War I, the Selective Service Act of 1917 grabbed the public's attention. The war itself was thought to be the war to end all wars.

During World War II, Americans were called upon to sacrifice. Goods like meat, gasoline and rubber were rationed. Americans were encouraged to provide rubber and metal for the war effort.

During the Korean War there was talk of the Domino Theory, bomb shelters and food prices went up due to young farm workers conscripted to war.

And, of course, there was Vietnam, where the war was brought home to the public on television and the battle over whether we should be there raged in the streets.

Candidate Barack Obama criticized President George W. Bush for not calling on the public to sacrifice but President Obama hasn't asked for sacrifice either.

For our part, we cheer the military but too often our support manifests itself in bumper stickers and costless Facebook patriotism. We cheer them on from the nosebleed seats but there's no way we're suiting up and setting foot on the field.

True shared sacrifice and support would cause us to open our wallets to pay for these wars, support families of war heroes and make sure veterans receive all the care they need when they return.

We all should bear a cost because it would provoke us to decide if this is what we want to spend our blood and treasure on.

Instead we inhabit this bizarro world where the United States military is at war while the United States, for all intents and purposes, is not. Such a scenario makes war more likely.

Meanwhile, our best and brightest die. We update our Facebook statuses with American flags.

And I'll take a pumpkin scone with that coffee. Peace.
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ADDITIONAL NOTES: I changed this column in one way from the print version. I updated the fact that this Navy Seal war hero earned THREE Bronze Stars with V, not two.