A Simple Test

From a Vietnam vet who knows first-hand the cost of war.

    As a disabled combat veteran who frequents a coffee shop near my home, I hear more angry debate over the Iraq War than I will ever need. In such conversations, unless asked, I usually say nothing at all.

    Caught in a time warp of sorrow and loss separating me from the others at the cafe table, there seems no point. At times, however — probably because of my history — I am asked to comment on some aspect of this war, or war in general. When I am foolish enough to take the bait, what I say usually goes something like this.

    I’m no pacifist, but I do have a rigorous standard for sending human beings to war. I call it the “Mike MacParlane Taste Test.”…. read more