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Teach Your Children Well

By Steve Crandall

One of the most rewarding opportunities I have as a contact for the Vietnam Veterans Against the War is to be able to help students with their class assignments. It seems around this time of the year I receive several requests from high school students to be interviewed about my experiences and thoughts about war. This year there seemed to be more students requesting interviews than usual. Maybe it's five long years of war in Iraq that has spurred their interest. This is a war that has now lasted longer than anyone of them has attended high school.

In the past they, especially the boys, wanted to know if I ever killed anyone and if I did what did it feel like? This year they didn't ask any of those questions instead their questions were more thoughtful and more mature. They asked me about my happiest moments. They wanted to know what I treasured the most and was I afraid? There were some questions that caused me to relive unpleasant experiences but it is a feeling I am willing to endure if I can teach only one child about the tragedies of war. To help them understand war is not a video game. It's real and the consequences are devastating.

I know these children will have to endure the economic consequences of this war but I sincerely hope none of them will have to endure the physical and mental tragedies of this war or any other war. As elders it is our responsibility to teach our children well. The following are lyrics by Graham Nash of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.