by professorpan » Fri Jul 21, 2006 12:38 am
After my hideous encounter with a "bomb 'em all" racist at a party this past weekend, I had a different sort of encounter today.<br><br>I ate lunch with a friend at a sushi bar. I was wearing my "Bring the Troops Home!" button. The last time I wore it at that restaurant, one of the waiters said, "Do you ever get shit for wearing that?"<br><br>"Not really. Especially not these days."<br><br>"I'm surprised," he said. He snickered and walked away.<br><br>Today was different.<br><br>The bartender said, "I like your button." He was an Asian guy, probably in his mid-to-late 20s. <br><br>"Thanks," I said.<br><br>"My brother's over there. I have three relatives in Iraq."<br><br>"I hope they all make it home okay," I said. <br><br>"My brother was supposed to be done, but they sent him back."<br><br>I shook my head. "That sucks."<br><br>"And you know, the one thing no one talks about is the suicides. My brother had a friend who killed himself. And another guy came home and shot himself."<br><br>I just shook my head. I didn't know what to say to that.<br><br><br><br> <p></p><i></i>