| I don't know if I was brave or stupid but I ended up having an anti-war chat, in public, with a lot of women, some with scissors, others with color, up in Oak Harbor, WA., home of the Whidbey Island Naval Air Station. Michelle was pushing back some as I talked, but I actually scored a few points (I think). On the plus side, we both agree that "anti-war" is not equivalent to "anti-troops" . But, she said that we have to help the Iraqi's, don't we? I said, that I believed that bombing them and their country isn't helping them. I suggested that we first try the Humanitarian Aid, help them, and see what they really need and want in the way of help. She conceded that there is some logic in that point (as she applied highlights to my hair), but suggested that we already tried that, and failed. I then planted the seed, cautiously (she is the one who controls the color on my head), that we have gone against our allies at the UN, and have somehow believed that we are more right than the majority. I asked her what would have been the harm of waiting an extra month to get UN sanction, maybe avoid the need for war and /or at least not be in this "coalition" alone. After some thought, Michelle said, well, it's too late now, we can't pull out. I bit my tongue. We segued to the significance of the red ribbons tied to trees and poles along with the yellow ones in Oak Harbor -- I thought she might know since this is her home town, and she also works here, she guessed that maybe it was because Saddam is most likely dead after today's action? The thought of this being the reason made her hopeful and more confident about our involvement and the end being in sight. Depsite my scalp tingling with chemicals, I asked her if she thought that if Bush was killed, would our government collapse? "Well, no...." What about if someone destroyed the White House -- besides being angry as all get out, would it collapse our government..."I hadn't thought of it that way" -- and then I ventured, we've destroyed their capital and their palaces, I bet that the Iraqi's are angry at us for doing that ..."Yes, I can see that now that you put it that way". Time for a leg wax. We continue our conversation some more as she layers hot wax on my legs, preps it with a cloth, about to pull the strip away.... Not one to let sleeping dogs lie, I had to grumble that it was different when it was our peers, when we were among the "immortal ones" during Viet Nam -- but these are *our* kids, they look to us for guidance, to shape their world -- and "we" decide to send them off to risk their lives, and we should be ashamed of ourselves. This brings mostly silence (except for some muffled "Ows" from me in synchronization with the cloth strips being yanked off). "Maybe we should just let the people who are gung-ho in the military go over and fight, not those who are afraid and unsure about going" Michelle suggests. At least we are both looking for alternate options.... After a wash in the basin, and getting de-foiled, we get me back into the chair, and it's now time for Michelle to cut my "do"...I "joke" about her being upset with me, and the rest of the shop lynching me for what I said, she laughed and said "no -- there are a lot of people who are anti-war, but pro-troops, don't be silly" ... we both tune in to the conversation at the next chair to my right; a woman is saying her husband is in Iraq, "I support him, and can't imagine how people could publicly protest while he's over there. What are they hoping to accomplish -- it's demoralizing"!?! I decided to err on the side of caution, and didn't engage my neighbor in chat...I tell you, war is hair!
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