A Soldier's Letter

We're doing an activity in class where we interpret letters from soldiers to their families. We were assigned to go on line and find letters that soldiers had sent home and analyse what they were saying and what I found surprised me.

I came across a letter that was more powerful than I personally was prepared for from a son to his mom and dad. I attached the letter and I hope you read it. This particual soldier is fighting in Operation Iraqi Freedom and wrote the letter in 2004. The pure emotion that comes forth when read isn't just because you're a family member of a soldier, it doesn't matter who you are I promise you it's worth the read.

Fear and passion are both attributes of a soldier and Dustin is of no exception. In his letter he describes the memorial service of a fallen soldier and his "final roll" being called and tears are eminent for anyone reading. Imagining being the familiy of Dustin when this letter arrived is impossible and something I wish nobody ever has to endure.

I don't think a letter like this is meant to be analyzed, mearly absorbed.

God bless our soldiers.

A Passage In Time

Billy had a framed prayer on his office wall which expressed his method for keeping going:

May God grant me
The serenity to accept
The things I cannot change,
The courage
To change the things I can,
And the wisdom
To know the different

Among the things Billy Pilgrim could not change were the past, the present, and the future.

I chose this passage to think about because I thought it was kind of ironic. Billy often times relates things to death in some way, if you haven't noticed it you should think about it while reading later. Billy claims that this passage helps him get through life when in reality he wants to stop living it? And also it is for some reason vitally important to add a poem to the book pages for our viewing pleasure a poem about change. A poem encouraging to have change in general and the next line he says there is no change. I found it ironic, loved the line, but still think this guy's a crazy nut.

Should You Be Reading This?

We read a story called Palm Sunday by Vonnegut on the topic of censorship of books, particullarly in schools and I have opinions about that.

As a high school student myself I firmly believe in my right to choose what I read. This does not mean that I believe that students have the right to refuse assigned reading or that students can simply go without reading because they simply do not enjoy reading. I myself am an avid reader and I believe that everyone should, and possibly be required to, read. However, I do not believe that someone else should have the right to say i'm not mature enough to handle the content of a book.

I am not scarred by the vulger language in a book but i'm scarred by the vulger language used against a person. Everything is about perspective and if you can look at a book objectively, read it. No panel of adults should say I cannot handle the language or idea of a book. That, in my opinion, is absurd. Some books are not OK for children to read but if students have a reading level that enables them to read a book, make it available to them.

Education is about the interpretation and acceptance of new ideas and concepts. By law students are required to meet that goal, yet that very same law is not letting us accept the ideas and concepts of books they claim are not worthy of attention due to unadulterated, honest language.

If you can't handle it, don't read it. Nobody will force anyone to read anything, but don't take the right to read away.