Walking to work this morning, I was surprised to see a mockup of a military cemetery on the Capitol campus. So at lunch, I made a detour to see what it was all about. And I learned that it was a "demonstration" of sorts called the Arlington Northwest Display, presented by the Northwest Chapter of the Veterans for Peace. Each cross, star, or crescent bore the hand-written name of an American soldier who died in Iraq. Or rather, most of them did. I spoke to one of the participants, who gave me a couple of handouts. He noted that some of the markers were not yet inscribed, because there were so many, and suggested that I fill one in from their list. I declined, as it felt a bit presumptuous. Especially because I suspect that some - if not many - of the soldiers represented would disapprove of the memorial erected on their behalf. And yet, I found the memorial quite moving. Ultimately, it lived up to its "transpartisan" billing, despite the rather thinly-veiled partisanship of its sponsors. A soldier respectfully remembered by name, for whatever reason, is a soldier remembered. And I can't see any reason to quarrel with that. But in retrospect, I found the event most peculiar because it seemed to reflect the sensibilities of a kind of veteran we're unlikely to see in the future. Namely, the draftee veterans. They've been a tempering voice for a long time, and figured prominently in the Vietnam era. But the shift to a volunteer army portends their near-inevitable disappearance. And I suspect that may significantly affect the terms of debate over using force. Those who have fought can oppose fighting with a kind of moral authority that those who haven't can't muster. But I suspect they'll be fewer and more circumspect in the modern army than in armies past.
After work, I met Carrie at Dumpster Values. She paraded about the store in a chicken (?) mask. It was oddly well-coordinated with her outfit, I think. But I found the beaklessness disconcerting.
And later, after dinner, we went out for drinks at the Brotherhood. Where we ran into Carrie's friend Heather, pictured on the left. Heather reminded me of my former student Jesse, both because they look a bit similar, and because they're both dancers. Anyway, conversation focused on Heather's friend Melanie Valera, a K recording artist. You can download a couple of her songs here. I highly recommend Happy Birthday, which is really lovely. And which I kept humming under my breath all week.
UPDATE: Oh my. I've had a brush with celebrity. In the comments, Melanie clarifies her relationship to her sweetheart, and makes some very kind observations. Thanks, Melanie. And I'm looking forward to seeing you perform in Olympia.
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