angels need both wings to fly"
- traditional
Today, stopped at a traffic light, I saw something I have never seen before: people protesting for the war. At the intersection of Rt. 9 and 9D in Wappingers, protesters flanked both sides of the highway. On the left were the peaceniks: aging hippies with one last shot at relevancy and foolish idealistic kids. They had handmade signs bearing slogans like "NO BLOOD FOR OIL" and "STOP THE WAR." I've seen those guys before. Today what was different was that on the right side were the warmongers. These guys, late-sixtyish-year-old men with beer guts and baseball caps, held up signs saying "SUPPORT THE TROOPS" and "LIVE FREE OR DIE." These signs were pre-printed and uniform; a sharp contrast to the DIY aesthetic of the crowd across the highway.
And me? As usual, stuck in traffic and impatient for the light to change. Personally I think both sides are wrong. Or not wrong -- misguided. Metaphorically tilting at windmills. I don't like war, but I know that at this time in history it is still necessary. War drives technological development. And, until we are immortal post-humans with godlike powers exploring the infinite universe and reshaping it to our whim, technology has a looooooong way to go. So: war. But by the same token it is our goal to one day no longer need war to develop, and vacuous slogans about supporting troops or how freedom isn't free do nothing towards this goal.
While I was entertaining these thoughts the light changed and I drove off, leaving the protestors of both stripes to recede to a spot in my rear view. I had moved on.
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