I posted a picture of La Crosse resident Al Knorr protesting the war outside of Juniorette's high school a few months ago. Here's more about Mr. Knorr, a former Navy vet and retired pyschiatric social worker, from the La Crosse Tribune (Saturday, January 27, 2007). I learned that he protests five times a week and I was pleased to read that he hears more support than heckling. His family still worries about his safety. In response to his wife's question about whether or not he's worried about his safety, Awesome Al says, "No, I'm not. I believe people are essentially good. We can have differences of opinion. That’s what makes us a democracy.”
The last time Knorr was in the library, I told him that I was the woman who took a picture of him and who waves whenever he's at Central High. He laughed and said, "It's always a lot warmer when people wave." It's the least I can do.
A very related aside: On my flight back to La Crosse, I overheard a discussion in the seat behind me. It was a 22 year-old man talking to his seatmate about his upcoming spinal surgery. Apparently, he was a soldier coming back from Falujah. His back had been really messed up from something that happened to him during his tour. At one point, his seatmate asked him if "it would work." The young man thought he was being asked about the surgery and said, "Oh, yeah," and explained that his cousin had had similar surgery and got a lot of relief from it. The man clarified and said, "The SURGE...I was asking about the troop surge." The solider replied, "Hell no! It won't work." He indicated that he had no faith in the decisions coming from the Bush administration, and that a bunch more "kids" like him, could not make a difference.
Right before I left for conference I read an article in Esquire magazine about 25 year-old triple amuputee Bryan Anderson (amputations courtesy of the Iraq war). In fact, it was the cover story. It was fairly neutral, but an amazing story, sort of along the lines of the teen surfer girl who got her arm bit off by a shark. Click on the link and read through to the end of the story.
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