Support our troops...
...bring them home!
Okay, I'm going to get political today. I do have some knitting content (scroll down to the pictures if you get tired of my ranting and raving), but my soapbox has been begging me to step back on, so here goes. Today's title is inspired by a bumper sticker I've been seeing around and that I love. It's also sparked by the irritation that comes over me when people say that you can't support the troops without supporting the war in Iraq, or that if you're against the war, you're somehow diminishing the sacrifice that the soldiers are making over there. I think that this is totally untrue, because I'm 100% in support of the troops and 100% against the war in Iraq.
After doing a lot of thinking about this whole issue (I've been against the war since before it started, BTW), it comes down to this. The men and women who enlisted in the armed forces, and particularly the National Guard, signed up to defend our country. In my opinion, that is NOT what is going on in Iraq. Perhaps they are defending Iraqis, and spreading democracy, or what have you (these are not my opinions but things that people say to defend the war), but in fact that is not what they signed on to do. However, since they are good and honorable servicepeople, they go over there and do the job that they are asked to do. They leave their families for months (or years) at a time, fighting in a country that doesn't necessarily want them there.
I know that 9/11 was a horrible attack on American soil. Even though I am by nature a pacifist and against almost any war, I was so upset by what happened that day that I whole-heartedly supported the search for Osama bin Laden. Some folks have tied the war in Iraq to the war on terror, but how does that work? Saddam had nothing to do with 9/11, despite the president's feeble attempts to somehow tie him to it. All the war in Iraq has done has been to distract from the hunt for bin Laden and open Iraq up as a hotbed of Al Queda activity (where it was NOT when Saddam was in power, despite all the other lousy things he was doing). Yes, Saddam was a horrible dictator, but there are horrible dictators all over the place. Why is he so special? Why do we get involved to such a huge degree in Iraq, but not in Rwanda? Or Somalia? Or Sudan? These are all places where horrible things are happening/have happened to large numbers of people.
I am just heartbroken when I think of all of the soldiers who have died in Iraq. Despite the fact that I don't support the war, I do believe they are heroes who died for their country. You can support people even though you don't agree with what their boss is telling them to do, can't you? So again, I plead, "Support Our Troops - Bring Them Home!!!".
Okay - soapbox is now put away. On to the knitting, for those of you who are still bothering to read this!
Pasha is finished (apart from the eyes, which I'm still deciding upon - to embroider or to button - that is the question).
I'm going to have to make another one, since Sydney instantly claimed this for her own and proceeded to get play-dough all over it. I had another Martha Stewart moment yesterday and made some homemade play-dough colored with lemon-lime Kool-Aid...
It made quite the mess on the kitchen table, but it kept her busy for a couple of hours so I can't really complain too much.
Last night, I took the Fair Isle Sampler class at Mabel's. It was really fun, and I ended up with this:
Unfortunately, it was knitted on borrowed needles so I had to pull them out and give them back at the end of the night. But I'm thinking I'm going to do something with this cute little pattern - a little stitch marker pouch? Or baby socks, perhaps? Hmm...
I also, of course, bought some yarn. I can't show most of it to you because it's for various secret pals and such, but I did get a little sumpin' sumpin' for myself.
Cascade Fixation! I can't wait to knit up some socks out of these bad boys. I'm also going to make a pair of drop-stitch gloves. I'm doing some technical editing for MK Carroll on this pattern, and it's so cute! I don't know when or where I'll ever wear them, but I gots to have them! She's going to have the pattern available for download on her blog soon, for anyone who loves them as much as I do.
I know, I'm pathetic. I blame Jillian and her yarn ho-iness. And I had to take advantage of that 10% discount, right? Right? Right!
Okay, I'm going to get political today. I do have some knitting content (scroll down to the pictures if you get tired of my ranting and raving), but my soapbox has been begging me to step back on, so here goes. Today's title is inspired by a bumper sticker I've been seeing around and that I love. It's also sparked by the irritation that comes over me when people say that you can't support the troops without supporting the war in Iraq, or that if you're against the war, you're somehow diminishing the sacrifice that the soldiers are making over there. I think that this is totally untrue, because I'm 100% in support of the troops and 100% against the war in Iraq.
After doing a lot of thinking about this whole issue (I've been against the war since before it started, BTW), it comes down to this. The men and women who enlisted in the armed forces, and particularly the National Guard, signed up to defend our country. In my opinion, that is NOT what is going on in Iraq. Perhaps they are defending Iraqis, and spreading democracy, or what have you (these are not my opinions but things that people say to defend the war), but in fact that is not what they signed on to do. However, since they are good and honorable servicepeople, they go over there and do the job that they are asked to do. They leave their families for months (or years) at a time, fighting in a country that doesn't necessarily want them there.
I know that 9/11 was a horrible attack on American soil. Even though I am by nature a pacifist and against almost any war, I was so upset by what happened that day that I whole-heartedly supported the search for Osama bin Laden. Some folks have tied the war in Iraq to the war on terror, but how does that work? Saddam had nothing to do with 9/11, despite the president's feeble attempts to somehow tie him to it. All the war in Iraq has done has been to distract from the hunt for bin Laden and open Iraq up as a hotbed of Al Queda activity (where it was NOT when Saddam was in power, despite all the other lousy things he was doing). Yes, Saddam was a horrible dictator, but there are horrible dictators all over the place. Why is he so special? Why do we get involved to such a huge degree in Iraq, but not in Rwanda? Or Somalia? Or Sudan? These are all places where horrible things are happening/have happened to large numbers of people.
I am just heartbroken when I think of all of the soldiers who have died in Iraq. Despite the fact that I don't support the war, I do believe they are heroes who died for their country. You can support people even though you don't agree with what their boss is telling them to do, can't you? So again, I plead, "Support Our Troops - Bring Them Home!!!".
Okay - soapbox is now put away. On to the knitting, for those of you who are still bothering to read this!
Pasha is finished (apart from the eyes, which I'm still deciding upon - to embroider or to button - that is the question).
I'm going to have to make another one, since Sydney instantly claimed this for her own and proceeded to get play-dough all over it. I had another Martha Stewart moment yesterday and made some homemade play-dough colored with lemon-lime Kool-Aid...
It made quite the mess on the kitchen table, but it kept her busy for a couple of hours so I can't really complain too much.
Last night, I took the Fair Isle Sampler class at Mabel's. It was really fun, and I ended up with this:
Unfortunately, it was knitted on borrowed needles so I had to pull them out and give them back at the end of the night. But I'm thinking I'm going to do something with this cute little pattern - a little stitch marker pouch? Or baby socks, perhaps? Hmm...
I also, of course, bought some yarn. I can't show most of it to you because it's for various secret pals and such, but I did get a little sumpin' sumpin' for myself.
Cascade Fixation! I can't wait to knit up some socks out of these bad boys. I'm also going to make a pair of drop-stitch gloves. I'm doing some technical editing for MK Carroll on this pattern, and it's so cute! I don't know when or where I'll ever wear them, but I gots to have them! She's going to have the pattern available for download on her blog soon, for anyone who loves them as much as I do.
I know, I'm pathetic. I blame Jillian and her yarn ho-iness. And I had to take advantage of that 10% discount, right? Right? Right!
posted by knittinmom at 9:40 AM
7 Comments:
Oh definitely. 10% off means 10% more yarn! Your pasha looks so cute. I'm thinking of making one for a friend of DF's and mine. she has another stuffed penguin that she takes around on trips with her and photographs everywhere. I figured Rico could use a playpal. Glad to hear that it's a pretty easy and fast pattern.
Home made play-doh? I'd never have guessed it possible.
Man do I get blamed for everything :) Yes, I am a yarn ho, I cannot deny it. I actually have that purple Polar in a canvas project bag to start on soon hanging in my closet, and I occasionally reach in and squeeze a skein. It's so *squishy*! Can't wait to see what the "secret" yarn and projects are!
Pasha came out lovely. I vote for embroidered eyes for Sydney's Pasha and button eyes for SP's Pasha!! The Fair Isle Sampler came out great - and it is knit in Christmas colors!!
oh, cute penguin! and great job on the fair isle! the colors are so christmas-y. you could knit a christmas stocking like that :) and hey, i remember seeing cascade fixation like that at the yarn store! that was when i went to big island bernina. i think lolly and chris have that same colorway...??? idk.
for some reason, i want to eat the play dough....i was never a play dough eater or anything when i was a kid, so that's news to me! i had a big lunch, too...
Pasha looks so adorable with her wings and feet! I'd like to give her a try someday. I love the Fair Isle, too. That's a technique that intimidates me, but one that I'd very much like to learn, too. "a little sumpin' sumpin' for myself," eh? ;-) Beautiful Fixation- can't wait to see the socks and gloves! And look at you with your Hawaii connections left and right! :-) BTW, when does your Leigh Radford class start? It's soon, isn't it?
Thanks Chrissy. I'll tell you what, it is SO hard to send my husband off to a war that neither of us believe in. He's already been there and hates the fact that he'll be going again soon. We came back into the Army after 9/11 so that he could fight there, something I totally support, but instead, he's somewhere else doing something that we frankly don't care about.
Sure there are supporters of us there, but the majority want us out. Not that we'll see a "real" drawn-down any time soon. Somebody has something to prove.
Anyway, love the penguin, very cute!
Mom used to give us homemade play-doh on a regular basis. I think we made ornaments and baked them one year, too.
I am so, so happy about your doing the tech editing, by the way.
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