I miss my parents but...
Mar. 31st, 2026 08:42 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lauradi7dwMy father was a Marine in WWII. By the time he died, in his late 90s, his body was about used up (in general, not just the aspiration pneumonia that killed him) and parts of his mind were gone, but that's not why I think he might be better off dead. The first time I really thought "I'm glad he's not alive to see this" was January 6, 2021. There were active-duty military people attacking the Capitol. I think he would have had a hard time believing it, or accepting it.
Then there was the fairly recent Lindsey Graham thing about how we should take over Kharg Island "We did it to Iwo Jima, we can do it now." What do you mean we, white man? LG is my age. He was in the military for quite a while (unlike me), but it was our father's generation (including *my* father, who was shot on Iwo Jima) that he's gloating about.
He did get some blowback about that, at least*
Yesterday we learned that ICE will be screening the family members of Marines graduating at Parris Island, which I think is where my father did his basic training as well.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/ice-agents-will-stationed-marine-corps-graduation-events-south-carolin-rcna265941
Daddy would be furious. Marines mattered to him the rest of his life, even as he was opposed to every war the US fought (started) after WWII. When he died, the household that had a US flag, its companion MIA/POW flag and additionally a sign by the main door that said "US troops out of Afghanistan."
* I think the US senators should be working, not on vacation, but I've been irritated by the social media reaction to Graham's trip to Disney World while he was in Orlando anyway for a meeting of jerks. (that wasn't the official name of the meeting, but Steve Witkoff was one of them). There has been a lot of mocking him for being too old to go to Disney. The fact that he has no children or grandchildren to take there sent some posters back to the longtime speculation about him being gay. Should anybody care if he is gay? No. Should people be allowed to go to a theme park without the excuse of having child relatives? Of course.
Then there was the fairly recent Lindsey Graham thing about how we should take over Kharg Island "We did it to Iwo Jima, we can do it now." What do you mean we, white man? LG is my age. He was in the military for quite a while (unlike me), but it was our father's generation (including *my* father, who was shot on Iwo Jima) that he's gloating about.
He did get some blowback about that, at least*
Yesterday we learned that ICE will be screening the family members of Marines graduating at Parris Island, which I think is where my father did his basic training as well.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/ice-agents-will-stationed-marine-corps-graduation-events-south-carolin-rcna265941
Daddy would be furious. Marines mattered to him the rest of his life, even as he was opposed to every war the US fought (started) after WWII. When he died, the household that had a US flag, its companion MIA/POW flag and additionally a sign by the main door that said "US troops out of Afghanistan."
* I think the US senators should be working, not on vacation, but I've been irritated by the social media reaction to Graham's trip to Disney World while he was in Orlando anyway for a meeting of jerks. (that wasn't the official name of the meeting, but Steve Witkoff was one of them). There has been a lot of mocking him for being too old to go to Disney. The fact that he has no children or grandchildren to take there sent some posters back to the longtime speculation about him being gay. Should anybody care if he is gay? No. Should people be allowed to go to a theme park without the excuse of having child relatives? Of course.
