Lew: Andrew Main’s poignant observatons about his experiences with the conscription atrocity raise very important questions. Why do so many parents love the state more than they do their own children? Why are so many so unwilling to protect their children from what may be the most dangerous threat to their lives? Why do mothers and fathers rail against drunk drivers and sexual predators, yet look the other way – while waving the blood-stained flag – when the military demands the sacrifice of their children’s lives? The problem begins at home, and I am tired of listening to the laments of the parents of war dead soldiers who encouraged such “patriotic sacrifices.”

The Best of Butler Shaffer