As I was leaving San Antonio yesterday, I had a two hour wait in the airport for my flight to Dallas. While waiting, a group of about 10 young people of various ethnicities (7 boys and 3 girls) showed up to wait for the same flight. They looked to be about 18 years old.
They were in good spirits and were laughing, joking and doing some minor horseplaying. They weren't bothering anyone -- just enjoying each other. Personally, this old guy felt younger just watching them. I think many of the other passengers felt the same way. There were many smiles as they watched these young men and women.
Normally I would say they had their whole lives in front of them, but maybe not for these kids. They were brand new Army recruits heading to boot camp. I admired their willingness to sign-up to defend their country, but at the same time I feared for their future.
Bush's infamous surge is failing miserably in Iraq, and our brave soldiers are still dying there in a hopeless cause. The chances are that in a few months, these youngsters will be dumped by Bush into the middle of a civil war which they cannot win and which has nothing to do with defending their country.
There is a very real possibility that one or more of them could be dead by this time next year -- sacrificed for foreign oil and Bush's pride.
Haven't we already lost too many young men and women in Bush's disastrous invasion of Iraq? Bush will not end this war, so we must redouble our efforts to get the Democrats to do what they were elected to do -- end the war and bring our soldiers home.
They have been a disappointment so far, but they are still our only hope.
I saw recruits sworn in at Astros' game on Flag Day and had the same kind of thoughts.
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