My "letter to the editor" of the Lowell Sun

I recently read, cover to cover in less than 24 hours Robert Maguire's book, Moral Erosion. In it, he covers every touchy subject possible, from slavery and genocide to Partial-Birth Abortion. Mr. Maguire is a very smart man and a well known figure in and out of Lowell. He's lived through World War's I & II, Vietnam, Cold War, etc. All of his points are not only valid, but in my perspective dead on.

In his book he talks about the "Me Generation". I was born into the "Me" generation and he hasn't been wrong so far.

What got to me is that he talked about war. Good for him! Generally no one gets to the heart of that subject, we all just dance around it, skimming the edges of it and fanning the fire while deciding someone else can put it out. Our country has now been burning for quite awhile. I can't make a judgment on when the lit match was carelessly tossed on, but it caught and it’s now a raging forest fire.

This country was formed over two-hundred years ago, as the United States of America. And somehow, we have become Dis-United. Outside our country, we are losing the Iraq War. I’ve been on both sides of the fence. I'm someone who has had friends and loved over there fighting for everyone back at home. I can't say I don't want it to end, but neither can I say that I think it’s time to come home, when all that does is say "we give up". The Iraqis don't want us there, but they can't run their country without us yet. So the big old United States is going to bow to their wishes? Iraq isn’t that big of a country. How can we let them stomp all over us? Wasn't there a reason we sent our soldiers over there? I haven't heard any news bulletins that we accomplished that reason.

This country and its people tear each other apart with our opinions and beliefs on how everything should be done. We stand no chance of winning anything whether it’s a war or a baseball game if we can’t work together. That’s the difference. When this country is at war it isn’t fighting its occupants. A war is a time when differences are put aside because we want this country to continue to survive and flourish. A baseball game is two teams playing against each other. Each team sticks together, they support each other and stand up for each other, even rush the pitcher’s mound if their teammate gets hit and he tries to do something about it. I’m sure we’ve all been watching the Red Sox. There have been quite a few “beanballs” lately in MLB.

A war is the same mindset. Our soldiers, whether they be Army, Marine, Air Force, on base or deployed, they stick together, they support each other, they stand up for each other. Oh, if one of their teammates gets hit? That hitter better have someone covering his back because our soldiers defend each other. Our soldiers are glorified for what they do and how they do it. What they do is work together. Why aren’t we watching each other’s backs and defending each other? Why aren’t we putting aside our differences? It’s worked in every war so far, we stuck together, we worked together and we all got through. This war has torn our country and its people to shreds like no other war in our history other than the Civil War. Everyone knows how that went.

We fight not only the people outside our country but our own people too. My own home area! We’re fighting over drugstores, local politicians, elderly drivers and many more. Many issues that should not be turned into a huge production.

How are such trivial things turned into something dramatic enough to need such a loud outcry of rage? How have we become so Dis-United?

What is it, a pig farm in Tewksbury? People say it smells. Well excuse me for saying so but, it’s a PIG farm. I suggest you take a quick plane ride over to an Iraqi village. Take a deep breath. Tell me if that pig farm doesn’t smell like roses when you get back.