Dennis Hopper

Tonight was was an evening that has begun to define my politics again. Dennis Hopper, a military uniform, and the show E Ring. Years ago as a teenager i joined 7 other friends and went to the drive in movie, the Starlight, to be exact against my parents' wishes and watched Dennis Hopper on a Harley Sportster with Peter Fonda. "Easy Rider" has forever frozen Dennis Hopper in my mind. It was the time when I defined my own anti war sensibilities. Reading the papers and watching the news report on the current milestone of over 2,000 American deaths in the Iraq war, I realized this war is illogical. I realized that even though I have wanted to be supportive of the reasons we are at war and that it is important to maintain Middle East freedoms, it is totally illogical to be involved in a Civil War that has continued to take place over thousands of years. There is no amount of American Capitalism, democracy, or esoteric idealism that is going to win over the car bombers and extremists. In the meantime, the brightest, most creative, most hardworking and loyal of our American youth is sacrificing their lives and the lives of their families for the Iraqi people. It is very bothersome to me. Dennis Hopper, Peter Fonda, Easy Rider, and I as a teenager, college student defined my politcal stance. Belive me I was not a hippie. In fact I was engaged to a Vietnam Vet, Marine Point Man, to be exact long before I met the Mr. 2,000 lives gone, and I am sickened. No I am not Cindy Sheean. She is a grieving mother trying to reconcile the death of her son. Yes I understand that grief, I watched my mom try and reconcile the death of my brother. It's impossible. It takes your sensibilities and strews them over blame, and fault, and ridiculousness, and still you are empty, and stricken. I am flippin 53, and I have rediscovered one part of me that has been dormant. Thank you Mr. Hopper. I will put this energy into supporting the men and women who are serving. I will pray daily for the end of this war. I will pray daily for wisdom, discernment, and common sense for the our leaders in this country. I will write letters, send packages, give encouragement to the military families in our town. I will teach the students in my class to be proud of these military soldiers who serve and to pray for their leaders and for an end to this illogical and un winnable war.