Without question, Elisabeth. A real mark of maturity is separating our contempt for Trump...and his illegal plunge into this chaos...from the men and women who still suit up, sacrifice...and put everything on the line.
This s was beautiful Jack. I had the same reaction plus anger for the fact this did not have to happen. This clown car administration is bound and determined to burn it all down. I feel so much for the Americans that are civilians stranded over there and the military that will not have enough munitions and God forbid if they order boots on the ground. I believe he plans to try and federalize the elections. As you said it will get tougher before we turn the corner.
This is heartbreaking. All service members, past & present, give the ultimate sacrifice to protect our country. That deserves respect, honor, & remembrance. 💔
Jack, thank you for sharing their photographs, the truth of their losses, which also bring on the tears here. I understand the heavy, heartfelt, can’t get your breath sobbing, wailing that comes more deeply than you ever knew was in you, as though a loved one in your own close, much loved family has been taken. It is the kind of sobbing I did when I learned of the first strike by reading your newsletter, and it was hard to stop that wailing. It is the kind of sobbing I did when looking at the faces of lost service members in Viet Nam in the 1960s, and those were not only the people I knew who had died over there. The heartbreak was for all of them, for wasted lives and harmed lives everywhere, for the loss of caring about people enough to stop wars, for the huge empty spots where vibrations of their souls could have radiated as they would have spent their lifetimes making the world a better place.
I had this feeling when learning of the 2024 election results while in a huge public place, a place where a seemingly all encompsssing heavy silence hung like choking lead over all of the travelers, where we proceeded like silent robots with stone faces, and we could not say anything to anyone.
It was the devastation dreaded during the campaign, because there was the knowledge that there would be more deaths than we already had from the last term that person had served, and it was the devastation of recognition that if the results were true, America as a whole was in dire straits in many ways, because far too many people were unable to recognize what they were doing or what they had done, all as shown by the way they had marked their ballots. The heaviness sticks. It feels like lead inside, and I feel horrific sadness for the families and people especially close to the people whose lives have been taken from them. Fortunately, this recognition is not permeating every cell full time, or we could not go on to proceed with living, but to some degree, it is a damper, and it is a far heavier damper now.
Yes, for some of the people, some of their genes will live on, and the goodness in their known stories can be told by people who know them. but these deaths were totally unnecessary, and for what? For whom? And can he ever even begin to feel it genuinely? I do not think so. If Congress cannot stop this war, there will be more losses. If people, who can, do not rise up to fo whatever they can do, in ways that they can now, there will be more needless losses. It seems that this war is out of its instigator’s desire for the imagined, self-promotion on an imagined pedestal to the heavens, rather than in any way a step toward helping humanity. War, disease, cruel treatment of innocent people, lies, theft in many ways for greed in many ways, not only within our own country, all of these characteristics must be recognized, and people must pay attention to their consciences. The madness must stop.
You described that kind of grief in a way that’s painfully precise...the breathless, body-deep wailing that doesn’t feel like “emotion” so much...as something ancient being torn loose.
You’re right...it doesn’t only belong to the families who lost someone. It spills outward because we can see the wasted lives… the futures that would have radiated into the world for decades.
The way you connected it to Vietnam hit hard.
Those faces become more than history. They become a ledger. Not just of death...but of everything that never got to happen.
That image you shared from 2024...the public place, the heavy silence...everyone moving like stone...yes. That’s a real phenomenon. When a nation absorbs a shock big enough...it shows up in the body language of strangers. People don’t even have words yet. They’re just carrying the weight.
What you’re naming, Judy...over and over...is the same core truth: these aren’t “numbers.” They’re human beings. And the anger you feel isn’t separate from the grief...it’s grief’s TWIN. The part of the heart that refuses to accept “unnecessary” as normal.
I also appreciate the honesty of what you said about endurance...if we felt it at full intensity in every cell...we couldn’t function. So the mind dampens it so we CAN keep living.
But the damper...doesn’t erase it. It just turns it into that lead you described...present... heavier now...always there in the background.
Your questions...for what, for whom, and can he ever feel it...are exactly the questions a moral country asks. Your insistence that conscience still matters...that attention still matters...that people still have agency... is the OPPOSITE of surrender.
I’m grateful you’re here, and that you wrote this. It honors them. It honors the families. And...it reminds the rest of us...what a human response is supposed to look like.
And let us remember all the baby girls blown up in the first strke. Their parents, their family, their friends, robbed of their innocence. And the soldiers on the Iranian frigate, near India, blown up. Their soldiers matter too. In spite of Hegspeths drunken glee. War is hell. It's coming to America.
Thank you, Jack for sharing your hurt. I know first hand how war never leaves you.
I cried as well when I saw the photos and read their stories. Then my heart broke a little more when a friend told me his nephew had just finished basic training and will be deployed immediately to Kuwait.
We should honor all those that serve but it is not lost on me that those that thrust us into this war of choice will not suffer the loss. Senate just voted against the a War Powers Act. Spineless sycophants, greed fueled profiteers bowing to Trump's plans.
There are days that feel harder to get through but I will #HoldFast.
Jack, you are very trusting to share with virtual strangers bound together by shared values, beliefs in democracy and fears for America. I salute 🫡 you for showing us raw emotion in honor of those that choose to serve. I understand your passion, hope and grief. I share in honoring the fallen, their sacrifice for us and the sacrifices and grief their families will bear. I also appreciate your trust.
Jack, I am very sorry for the losses you’ve suffered.
As someone who saw the Vietnam war on tv every night as a young person, knew of people that didn’t come back and how those that did return were changed forever I understand as much as I can having never experienced war or military service myself. There have been others close to me (uncles, cousins, grandfathers, friends) that served in other theaters before and after Vietnam. WHEN will we stand up and say no more?? It’s way beyond time for us to figure out a better way to resolve differences.
Thank you for your searing honesty and vulnerability. Sending hugs and comfort your way.
Heavy hearts are a daily challenge for those who ‘know’ the pain of that loss. Tearing families apart, anguish, despair and moving through the closed doors with fearlessness and hope that those doors will open for all, in time. Steady as we go. Thank you Jack.
President Bonespurs is incapable of seeing these service men and women as unique human beings deserving of the simplest respect. To him, they are expendable props. He twists their patriotism and love of country into mockery. Just as we are ramping up our military engagement, funds are being cut for VA medical staffing.
My heart goes out to these brave souls and those who love them. They are only the first of many.
Just a side note, I felt such sadness and contempt at the photo of the first of the servicemen & woman arriving back home with no President or Congress member there to recognize their ultimate sacrifice.
No more Wars, No Good can come of them. Thank you,for a reflection on our fallen, Jack, and will reStack ASAP 🙏
You’re welcome, Karen. Agreed; war is ugliness, plain and simple.
While some wars have been unavoidable...like WWII...too many large-scale wars since then didn’t have to happen.
I’ve been working on an article about the billions in profit “big” wars generate. I’ve got the skeleton in place...and I’ll share it soon.
As always, I appreciate the reStack!
-Jack
I can't wait for this one to hit. I've always believed that when you fight wars for billionaires, even if you win... you lose.
#HoldFast
Regardless of the circumstances that led up to their deaths, their sacrifice will be honored & remembered. 😞💜
Without question, Elisabeth. A real mark of maturity is separating our contempt for Trump...and his illegal plunge into this chaos...from the men and women who still suit up, sacrifice...and put everything on the line.
-Jack
This s was beautiful Jack. I had the same reaction plus anger for the fact this did not have to happen. This clown car administration is bound and determined to burn it all down. I feel so much for the Americans that are civilians stranded over there and the military that will not have enough munitions and God forbid if they order boots on the ground. I believe he plans to try and federalize the elections. As you said it will get tougher before we turn the corner.
#HOLDFAST
Teri, you captured exactly what many people are feeling...the sorrow, and the anger that it didn’t have to happen. BOTH can exist at the same time.
You’re hammering it with thinking about the civilians and the men and women serving right now. Those are the people...who carry the real consequences.
We stay steady, stay clear-eyed, and keep going!
#HOLDFAST
-Jack
This is heartbreaking. All service members, past & present, give the ultimate sacrifice to protect our country. That deserves respect, honor, & remembrance. 💔
Lori...you’re absolutely right. Anyone who puts on the uniform commits most people will never fully understand.
That kind of service...and the sacrifices that come with it...deserve our respect...our gratitude...and our remembrance.
It means a lot that you took a moment to say that.
-Jack
Jack, thank you for sharing their photographs, the truth of their losses, which also bring on the tears here. I understand the heavy, heartfelt, can’t get your breath sobbing, wailing that comes more deeply than you ever knew was in you, as though a loved one in your own close, much loved family has been taken. It is the kind of sobbing I did when I learned of the first strike by reading your newsletter, and it was hard to stop that wailing. It is the kind of sobbing I did when looking at the faces of lost service members in Viet Nam in the 1960s, and those were not only the people I knew who had died over there. The heartbreak was for all of them, for wasted lives and harmed lives everywhere, for the loss of caring about people enough to stop wars, for the huge empty spots where vibrations of their souls could have radiated as they would have spent their lifetimes making the world a better place.
I had this feeling when learning of the 2024 election results while in a huge public place, a place where a seemingly all encompsssing heavy silence hung like choking lead over all of the travelers, where we proceeded like silent robots with stone faces, and we could not say anything to anyone.
It was the devastation dreaded during the campaign, because there was the knowledge that there would be more deaths than we already had from the last term that person had served, and it was the devastation of recognition that if the results were true, America as a whole was in dire straits in many ways, because far too many people were unable to recognize what they were doing or what they had done, all as shown by the way they had marked their ballots. The heaviness sticks. It feels like lead inside, and I feel horrific sadness for the families and people especially close to the people whose lives have been taken from them. Fortunately, this recognition is not permeating every cell full time, or we could not go on to proceed with living, but to some degree, it is a damper, and it is a far heavier damper now.
Yes, for some of the people, some of their genes will live on, and the goodness in their known stories can be told by people who know them. but these deaths were totally unnecessary, and for what? For whom? And can he ever even begin to feel it genuinely? I do not think so. If Congress cannot stop this war, there will be more losses. If people, who can, do not rise up to fo whatever they can do, in ways that they can now, there will be more needless losses. It seems that this war is out of its instigator’s desire for the imagined, self-promotion on an imagined pedestal to the heavens, rather than in any way a step toward helping humanity. War, disease, cruel treatment of innocent people, lies, theft in many ways for greed in many ways, not only within our own country, all of these characteristics must be recognized, and people must pay attention to their consciences. The madness must stop.
#HOLDFAST!
Judy...thank you for this. I mean that.
You described that kind of grief in a way that’s painfully precise...the breathless, body-deep wailing that doesn’t feel like “emotion” so much...as something ancient being torn loose.
You’re right...it doesn’t only belong to the families who lost someone. It spills outward because we can see the wasted lives… the futures that would have radiated into the world for decades.
The way you connected it to Vietnam hit hard.
Those faces become more than history. They become a ledger. Not just of death...but of everything that never got to happen.
That image you shared from 2024...the public place, the heavy silence...everyone moving like stone...yes. That’s a real phenomenon. When a nation absorbs a shock big enough...it shows up in the body language of strangers. People don’t even have words yet. They’re just carrying the weight.
What you’re naming, Judy...over and over...is the same core truth: these aren’t “numbers.” They’re human beings. And the anger you feel isn’t separate from the grief...it’s grief’s TWIN. The part of the heart that refuses to accept “unnecessary” as normal.
I also appreciate the honesty of what you said about endurance...if we felt it at full intensity in every cell...we couldn’t function. So the mind dampens it so we CAN keep living.
But the damper...doesn’t erase it. It just turns it into that lead you described...present... heavier now...always there in the background.
Your questions...for what, for whom, and can he ever feel it...are exactly the questions a moral country asks. Your insistence that conscience still matters...that attention still matters...that people still have agency... is the OPPOSITE of surrender.
I’m grateful you’re here, and that you wrote this. It honors them. It honors the families. And...it reminds the rest of us...what a human response is supposed to look like.
#HOLDFAST!
-Jack
And let us remember all the baby girls blown up in the first strke. Their parents, their family, their friends, robbed of their innocence. And the soldiers on the Iranian frigate, near India, blown up. Their soldiers matter too. In spite of Hegspeths drunken glee. War is hell. It's coming to America.
Thank you, Jack for sharing your hurt. I know first hand how war never leaves you.
I cried as well when I saw the photos and read their stories. Then my heart broke a little more when a friend told me his nephew had just finished basic training and will be deployed immediately to Kuwait.
We should honor all those that serve but it is not lost on me that those that thrust us into this war of choice will not suffer the loss. Senate just voted against the a War Powers Act. Spineless sycophants, greed fueled profiteers bowing to Trump's plans.
There are days that feel harder to get through but I will #HoldFast.
Thank you Jack for all that you do.
Jack, you are very trusting to share with virtual strangers bound together by shared values, beliefs in democracy and fears for America. I salute 🫡 you for showing us raw emotion in honor of those that choose to serve. I understand your passion, hope and grief. I share in honoring the fallen, their sacrifice for us and the sacrifices and grief their families will bear. I also appreciate your trust.
Take care - go give your lovely wife a hug.
Diana
Jack, I am very sorry for the losses you’ve suffered.
As someone who saw the Vietnam war on tv every night as a young person, knew of people that didn’t come back and how those that did return were changed forever I understand as much as I can having never experienced war or military service myself. There have been others close to me (uncles, cousins, grandfathers, friends) that served in other theaters before and after Vietnam. WHEN will we stand up and say no more?? It’s way beyond time for us to figure out a better way to resolve differences.
Thank you for your searing honesty and vulnerability. Sending hugs and comfort your way.
While there is still time, I am sharing this Petition to Prevent Approval of D. T.’s Unfit Appointee for Surgeon General,
🚩Here is a petition from Move On to Donald J. Trump’s Appointee, Casey Means from being approved as Surgeon General.
🚩To know more about Casey Means, here is a site: https://people.com/casey-means-everything-to-know-11914045
🚩https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/trumpwellness-influencer-casey-means-is-not-fit-to-be-america-s-top-doctor?source=web_share_api&utm_source=web_share_api&share=c29fe6be-b777-4ebd-aef9-4d9d8dc34766
Beautifully and thoughtfully said. I'm too angry and saddened by all this.
Our household is gutted over this photo.
Heavy hearts are a daily challenge for those who ‘know’ the pain of that loss. Tearing families apart, anguish, despair and moving through the closed doors with fearlessness and hope that those doors will open for all, in time. Steady as we go. Thank you Jack.
President Bonespurs is incapable of seeing these service men and women as unique human beings deserving of the simplest respect. To him, they are expendable props. He twists their patriotism and love of country into mockery. Just as we are ramping up our military engagement, funds are being cut for VA medical staffing.
My heart goes out to these brave souls and those who love them. They are only the first of many.
Just a side note, I felt such sadness and contempt at the photo of the first of the servicemen & woman arriving back home with no President or Congress member there to recognize their ultimate sacrifice.
I will not look away.. Will not forget these lives and the ones that are certain to follow. My heart breaks for their families and all who loved them.
It’s heartbreaking and infuriating how unnecessary this is and how little care will come from this regime regarding the losses that they have caused.
Thank you, Jack… for honoring these four lives and those surely to come.
#HOLDFAST
~Susan