Fallen Flowers

by Mark Reynolds

There on a misty morning, the sun slowly rised
After the Battle at Halidon Hill
There lies her youngest son, tears in his eyes
Wounded and dying she hears him still

Ma, if I could live my life again
If I could call the world my friend
If I could write the story's end (I would)
I would give all these things in vain
To feel you hold me once again

A smile comes to his face
An uneasy calm
In front of him, his life flashes by
Amidst his boyish charms,
he feels his mother's arms
In that painless moment, he hears her cry

Son, if I could roll back the years
If I could see you through these tears
If I could face all of my fears (I would)
I would give everything in vain
Just to hold you once again

Remember me forever
I'll be here forever
Please forget me never
I'll be here forever

(Lyrics to "Fallen Flowers" by Steve McDonald)

After I read Brothers In Arms by Douglas Herman, and pondering his words of wisdom, I decided to write this article.  Thanks, Douglas . We need more of our countrymen to see the truth the way you do.  

What is so hard to understand about the simple concept of LOVING YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF? Do we hate ourselves that badly?  Why is it that many who are so wealthy have nothing better to do with their time and energy than to make efforts to enslave and murder their fellow man?  

When will we ever learn? The battle of Halidon Hill is unknown to most all of us, and yet the words to the song “Fallen Flowers” strike deep into my heart as I think of all the mothers and sons who throughout the ages could fit the characters of this story told by Steve McDonald.  

I can think of Sammy Weaver, 14, lying there dying after a Federal Marshall shot him to death. I can think of Vicki Weaver, who if she could have held him and heard his words may have heard similar words that the young man in the story spoke while dying in his mother’s arms. I can envision the mothers of PFC Steven Acosta, PFC Michael S. Adams, Lance Cpl. Andrew Julian Aviles, PFC Rachel K. Bosveld, PFC Jeffrey F. Braun, PFC Paul J. Bueche, PFC Jonathan M. Cheatham,  SPC Arron R. Clark, and PFC Ryan R. Cox holding them in their arms with the same words that may have been spoken many hundreds of years ago at Halidon Hill. All of these young men were under the age of 21. A small number of the THIRTEEN HUNDRED men who have died due to the senseless conflict in Iraq .  Never to see their mothers, fathers, friends, grandmothers, or hold their children or have children. A pure waste. Fallen flowers of America ’s youth sacrificed on an altar of lies and deceit by our nation’s “leaders.”  

As I look at the pictures that Douglas posted with his article and see the tear on the cheek of that Marine or see the young man with the scar on his stomach and know that they are there because WE DON’T DO anything to stop this, it makes me ill. It makes me ill when I read of Monica, the wife of Sergeant Kevin Benderman, who was asked if she had read and studied the Bible in reference to her husband refusing to go back to Iraq . After all, he was refusing to kill and maim in the name of the state god.  I ask myself, are “we” INSANE? The BIBLE? Unless of course you think that God has given “us” a mandate to go and kill all the men, women and children as well as the goats, cattle, dogs and lizards, as that book claims took place in Canaan at the behest of God. Maybe Emperor Bush believes he is a modern day Caleb taking us into a promised land of milk and honey. And maybe I still believe in the tooth fairy. Maybe EVERYONE in the military should have the fortitude of Kevin Benderman, to say NO, we will NOT KILL INNOCENT PEOPLE FOR YOU, GEORGE.  We are NOT in the military as mercenary troops to do your bidding. What are “they” going to do, court martial EVERYONE?  Fine, let them. Maybe they can fence in a state.  

Sometimes I think we need the rest of the world to invade US to teach all the brain-dead lemmings supporting this catastrophe that we aren’t Gods “chosen” land and that we don’t have some sort of mandate to run the rest of the world. I become sick looking at all the little yellow ribbons on automobiles everywhere that say “Support Our Troops.” And of course the tag line on the red, white and blue ribbon next to it that says “God Bless America .” BLESS? If I were Him, out of love for the rest of the world, I’d have nuked us by now.  Now be sure to send your young men and daughters to die for the lies that were perpetrated by King George and club, after all, isn’t that supporting the troops?    

Support our troops by getting them the hell out of Iraq and the hundreds of other places around the world and by dismantling our grand military. Arm the populace the way the Swiss are armed and no one will ever in a million years want to invade us. We would be a nation of fourth generation soldiers. You know, the kind that is giving the troops such a hard time in Iraq . When I hear some retired military guy at a local school I attend tell me, “Better to fight them over there than here,” I asked him, “HOW are they GOING TO GET HERE? Rowboat? Swim? They have no air force. They have no navy. They are a ragtag bunch of guys DEFENDING their land from INVADERS. We just happen to be the modern day Nazis and they just happen to be the modern day Poland .”  

There is only one reason that I can see for war, and that is the reason that the Iraq RESISTANCE exists. When someone invades another country or the territory of someone else, they can expect to be repelled as an INVADER, not as a “liberator” or any other Orwellian term you can come up with. SELF DEFENSE is an unalienable right of all living creatures. You can’t bring freedom to someone by shooting them with a gun, unless your idea of freedom is death.  

We aren’t hated for our “freedoms.” We are hated because we have become the big bully that is pushing around the little kids on the playground of the world. We are hated because we are vicious, immoral, hateful murderers of innocent people. We are hated because we lie, cheat and steal from the rest of the world.  

George thinks he has a mandate from “God” to bring demon-o-cracy to the rest of the world. He thinks that since he was voted back in, which is most doubtful, that “we” have given him a blank check to do whatever the hell he feels like. Well,  I have some news for George . . . he didn’t win a majority of support when 40% of the folks of voting age didn’t vote AT ALL and the other 49% of the total that voted cast their votes against him. That means that SIXTY NINE PERCENT of us have no use for this poor excuse of a president.  And those are the folks who are of voting age. There are a LOT of younger folks waking up to the fact the Emperor is naked.  

I am sure many of us may find out firsthand what war is about if that pitiful example of damaged DNA ever gets the draft reinstated. Frankly folks, I am SICK AND TIRED of the LIES, MURDER, THEFT and DESTRUCTION that is being waged on “my behalf.” I want the rest of the world to know, that NO, Mark Reynolds does NOT support George Bush and crowd as they take our young men and WOMEN to use for their mentally deranged purposes in foreign lands, with many of them coming home maimed or dead for “their” cause.  

Don’t give me this garbage about patriotism or that your “country” is calling. George Bush is a MAN. He isn’t our “country.” Were the people of Nazi Germany “patriots” as they blindly followed the “Fuehrer” lemming off the cliff?  I had nothing to do with where I was born, and if you are so puffed up because of the piece of dirt God placed you on, seriously consider getting counseling. The EARTH is my home. Those Iraqis being murdered are my brothers and sisters, too.  

No, I will not, and my children will not fight for George and his Skull & Bones New World Odor. And that is what it is . . . a stinking odor to the nostrils of God. If you think George is doing His will, you are really out of your mind, what little that is left of what you ever had. MURDER IS MURDER. Wake up! LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF. How much simpler can it be?