Couldn't Believe My Ears

Dear Moron,

You’ve been on my mind all day, and I thought I could just let it go, but at this moment, I can’t. Somebody needs to tell you how wrong you are, and today that somebody is me.

I walked next to you on an Akron street this morning wearing an Army PT t-shirt and a black hat with “Army Veteran” on the front. At 6’3”, you couldn’t have missed me anyway, but you took the time to notice my apparel after I had just finished taking my son to school.

For whatever reason, and I’m hoping it was simply an absolute brain cramp on your part you knucklehead, you decided to say to me, “Army eh? (big laugh) You know, all those Army guys are dying right now, right? (bigger laughter)”. The reason I stopped for a few seconds and looked at you like you had three heads is because that’s how appalled I was at what you said. You spoke to me like I was wearing a Detroit Pistons t-shirt and you were teasing me because the Cavs “killed” them, except you were talking about American soldiers.

After saying nothing, I kept walking and chalked your thoughtlessness up to blatant ignorance. Having read today’s front-page story about 14 more U.S. troops killed over the weekend in Iraq, my mind and heart were already heavy with the pain of the war. But c’mon brain donor, what were you thinking?

Maybe you just didn’t know what to say to someone in the military. Maybe you recognized me from TV and just didn’t know what to say. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that you just don’t get it. You don’t understand what this country is going through. 3,400+ dead. 20,000+ wounded. Tens of thousands more with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Those are individual people that are losing their lives. There’s a family for each and every one. The most recent casualty was 21 years old from New Philadelphia – as in New Philadelphia, Ohio – as in just down I-77 – as in, HE WAS ONE OF US YOU DOLT!

The more I think about it, the more I’m glad you said those comments to me you soulless oxygen thief . I hasten to think what would have happened had those words been directed to Julie Barkey or Peggy Buryj or Larry Large or Wesley Emch or even my oldest son. He’s only 12. Yet, at age 8, he stood up to be the man of the house for 14 months while his father was in the middle of hell somewhere. He had to watch over two younger brothers while worried and scared every minute. He had to try and offer a shoulder to his crying mother, as she was terrified every time the phone rang you heartless dweeb. Tell him what you told me and I guarantee he’ll give you more than a few words to consider. He'll eat your lunch.

To say the least, your thoughtless utterance got under my skin today. I hate to even write the words that appear above, because I pride myself on being an officer and a gentleman. However, after another stranger took the time on Main Street today just to say, “welcome home,” I couldn’t help but tell you how hurtful your humor was this morning. Even my kindergartner has been told, “think before you speak.” I think you could learn a lot from a 5-year-old, but I'm not sure you're that smart.