The suffering endured by Americans, Iranians
I am saddened to learn that the crew of the USS Lincoln has had to endure extremely unhealthy physical and emotional conditions during their long deployment in the war with Iran. The stresses endured in an unstable and dangerous part of the world is heart wrenching and unimaginable.
I am also saddened to hear and read about the unhealthy and miserable conditions being experienced by the ordinary women, men, and children of Iran. To live in a state of fear of being attacked and possibly killed by a missile or bomb dropped by our own aviators and sailors, such as those on the Lincoln aircraft carrier, is beyond any person’s ability to understand. Both we Americans and the Iranians are paying the price for war while those responsible play golf and pretend to be religious.
The news about the war is more upsetting to me more than for many U.S. citizens since I lived and worked in Iran as a Peace Corps Volunteer years ago. As news of this current war continues on, I abhor the suffering we have caused the people I knew years ago.
Both our servicemen and servicewomen, as well as the people of Iran, deserve better than this from both country’s leaders. We still have time to change our own country’s direction if enough of us speak up with our voices and our votes. Trying to resolve human problems with bombs and missiles, we should all know by now, does not solve international problems. As we can see, from the suffering of our servicemen and servicewomen to the trauma experienced by the people of Iran, weapons of mass destruction only make life for humans worse.