It's a sad day: somebody I know died in Iraq. Joe(y) Micks, who was a Boy Scout in Rapid River during my later years in Troop 488, was killed by an explosion on Saturday. It's impossible to comprehend why. I continue to want to feel like we - those who risk life and limb in the name of our nation - are accomplishing something but at this point I don't see what that something might be. The quagmire grows ever deeper, control and mastery of the situation slips farther from our grip, and the battle is raging ever closer to the hearts and homes of everyone in America.
After a day at work and a successful trip to Emmaus with Jenelle that turned frustrating when we got home, Ryan and I set out on what turned into a 24 mile Tour de Berks County. We rode over some hills, cruised along the farm fields, and flew down downhills as afternoon faded. It felt fun, like something worth being able to do. Something worth dying for? I'm not sure.
The most frustrating thing for me is the powerlessness of having 1/200,000,000th of the helm. Sometimes the idea of democracy feels like a runaway train - somebody is theoretically driving, but when the direction seems wrong it is utterly debilitating to be clinging to the middle cars. When the leader isn't dedicated to the followers, what improvement is that over any other -ocracy?
Tuesday, July 11, 2006