Life in Bush Country

I'm working on an article on a family with a son in Iraq. They are putting together 45 goody bags for their son's unit and the community has donated money and items to help with the project.

I sat with the grandmother, sister, and mother yesterday afternoon as they made chocolate chip cookies. I wondered how they voted in Tuesday's election, but did not want to ask. The mother said without my asking that she had voted for Bush because she thought he would provide the strongest war leadership and with a son in the middle of the fighting she had to go with him.

The grandmother said those people who did not want Bush or protested our presence in Iraq just did not know the good things we had brought to that country. She intimated that not supporting the war meant folks did not support her grandson. I pointed out to her that those I spoke to who did not approve of our presence in Iraq still had the utmost respect for our troops.

I could not say anything more since I was in their home doing an unbiased article on their efforts. But for the first time since Tuesday I felt extremely isolated and alone with my views. After I finished the interview I went to the cocktail party addressed in the previous blog.

Today I feel let down by humanity and my writing has taken a back seat to my depression.