Today I'm asking saint Anthony .... http://www.saintsforsinners.com/stories/saint_anthony_medal_story.htm to "come on down to help me find" ... answers. Many believe that saint Anthony helps people find lost objects, like car keys and wallets, but the saint Anthony I have grown to know and love has left such findings to his apprentices and their assistants and interns in Heaven.
My saint Anthony helps folks find peace, comfort, tranquility, and understanding, to name a few qualities. And that is why I am calling on him today.... because it is a very perplexing day.
The newspapers have shown that there were a "few moments of joy in Baghdad" yesterday. The Iraqi national socccer team advanced to the Asian Cup Championship Match and the pictures in the papers have shown delighted Iraqi children waving their country's flags while smiling and cheering for their team. It seemed like a perfect day for the youngsters and for all of the law-abiding Iraqi citizens everywhere. Sadly, it was also reported by New York Times writers Richard Oppel, Jr. and Qais Miller that, on that same day, bombs "killed at least 50 Iraqi people and wounded 135 more."
Another article about Iraq and the War, by writer Michael Cieply, told of Hollywood actors Tommy Lee Jones, Susan Sarandon, John Cusack, Ryan Phillippe and others playing roles in upcoming movies that will tell stories about the War and its aftermath. Paul Haggis, the writer and director who won lots of awards for his movie "Crash" last year, will be presenting a movie called "In the Valley of Elah." In the movie, there is a scene where it is shown that the American flag is being "flown upside down in the heartland, the signal of extreme distress." The notion of flying the flag upside down is what led me to try and find answers and thus, I have been calling upon saint Anthony to come on down and visit and help me learn "what is the ring thing to do?"
A part of me wants to go fly a flag upside down and put an upside down flag bumper sticker on my car. If that is the signal of extreme distress, it seems appropriate. I am distressed about the War. But then, another part of me feels that by waving an upside down flag, an argument could be made that you were against our soldiers and did not care about them, when nothing could be further from the truth. My heart aches for the families who have suffered because of this War and all Wars. The residual impact of War has affected me many times. As a boy I was told that my father went to fight in World War II and I know he was a decorated hero of the War. But I was also told that when my father went to fight for our country he left America with a wonderful personality and came back, after 6 years, with a very different, not so wonderful personality. He never spoke of the War and there was some unspoken rule that let me know it was not appropriate to ask questions about those 6 years of my father's life. In retrospect, I wish I had broken the rule and asked some questions but I did not and can not since my father has gone to eternal rest. I only know that War changed my Dad and made him less of a person.
It seems likely there will be people flying flags upside down very soon. It seems appropriate if flying an upside down flag is indeed meant to show extreme distress about the War. I'm so distressed about the War and Wars in general that I find myself thinking of an upside down flag tattoo! But first I must wait it out for a while with dear saint Anthony, who will help me find out whether flying such a flag is the right thing to do. Maybe flying an upside down falg could successfully send the right message, elevate the level of debate about the War, and bring all of our soldiers home safely while leaving the Iraqis in a place where they can celebrate joyous occasions, like winning soccer games on behalf of their country. I hope saint Anthony will hear my call but I also realize he is very busy, because it seems like no one can find the answers about this horrible War. I'm sure his phone is ringing off the hook.
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