Amazon reader review
What do mothers and entire societies undergo when their offspring fight in wars? Social justice activist-journalist Susan Galleymore had the experience thrust upon her when she became a reluctant "military mother," and made it her business to go forth, find out and publish her findings. Her book, Long Time Passing: Mothers Speak about War & Terror is the ambitious, stunning result.
When Galleymore's son was deployed to Afghanistan in 2003, she awoke from nightmares nearly every night. This scenario could describe any mother whose child is embroiled in armed conflict, and struggles with the possibility that she may never see that child again, or that the child will likely return as "damaged goods," physically and/or psychologically.
In 2004, Galleymore joined a Code Pink women's delegation to Baghdad to visit her son who was by then deployed to Iraq. For this book, Galleymore also interviewed, between 2004 and 2008, ordinary people she encountered--including mothers in Iraq, Israel/Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and Afghanistan--where war and terror have become a way of life. Back in the U.S., Galleymore went on to interview military mothers, war veterans and soldiers on active duty, as well as those gone AWOL or who were stop-lossed (commanded to involuntarily extend their tour of duty), wounded, and/or discharged.
While the mothers she interviewed possessed views that span the political spectrum, each described how she viewed her child's involvement in war, and how it impacted family, community and country. By also interviewing men engaged in armed struggle in their native lands as well as soldiers speaking about disturbing facts on the ground in the countries in which they had been deployed, Galleymore adds layers of meaning to this unique book. By further relaying her own personal experiences, observations and ruminations along the way, the author manages to write the equivalent of many books in one volume. Long Time Passing touches on a variety of interconnected, fundamental issues that are missing from national and global discourses, whether through media, mainstream cultural sources or inter-communal dialogue.
While Long Time Passing provides an insider's view into the tremulous circumstances of occupation, what emerges is that maternal and human suffering--both deeply personal and extraordinarily universal--highlight the private tragedies behind the public spectacle of war.
Galleymore's profiles illustrate that the average mother or family precariously surviving under occupation is more informed, civilized, humane and nuanced in perspective than the Western media routinely give either one credit for being, all while those occupied struggle, under unnatural circumstances, to live freely, safely and in charge of their own destinies. By contrast, the reader can't help but notice, through the trials of Galleymore and her interviewees, how the military industrial complex and the culture it engenders emerge as what the occupied peoples are often painted as, that is, zealous, xenophobic, arrogant, irrational, intolerant, and even ignorant, unstable and incompetent.
Long Time Passing is a tribute to mothers everywhere who, through the interviewees, honor our common humanity by sharing their stories of courage, despair, questioning, anger and resilience. However, it would not do to simply say that the book is about the tribulations of military mothers. It is an absorbing, discriminating and enraging look at the devastating impact of war, world affairs, the history of lands under occupation, and what is being done in the name of freedom and democracy. A complete reading of Long Time Passing leaves no doubt with this reader that the culture of war seeps into and undermines every aspect of our lives: physical, spiritual, emotional, intellectual, moral, racial, familial, cultural, social and sexual. The book will also be eye opening for anyone who has not traveled beyond "First World" nations to see the ravages of war, poverty and disenfranchisement. That reader--who enjoys gainful civilian employment, an intact family, creature comforts, disposable income and extended leisure time--will no doubt develop a greater appreciation for a lifestyle s/he may previously have taken for granted.
Long Time Passing is a work to examine time and again as a reminder that war and the military are inimical to mothering. Frequent readings will also urgently remind us that our common humanity, our obligations to one another and this earth, and our collective efforts to shine a light on truth, equality and global justice can -- and will -- make a difference.
by J. P. Malinowski
This book belongs on a priority list of recent antiwar literature. The author tells her story (and several others)in a passionate, moving and highy literate manner. Susan Galleymore brings an unusual mix of personal and professional experiences to bear on the major war situations faced by Americans today, starting with her own son's unsettling decision to enlist in the military.
From her own beginnings in South Africa, her time in Israel and the West Bank and her life in California, the author writes from deep in her mother's heart while at the same time offering a coherent analysis of military culture and policy.
This is recommended (highly readable) reading for all concerned citizens.
"A good place to start this awareness [about the effects of war] is at the top. So, let me suggest that when you finish reading Long Time Passing: Mothers Speak About War and Terror you mail your copy to Michelle Obama at the White House. Perhaps she'll take the time to read it."
- Ron Jacobs, Counterpunch, "American Mothers and War" May 8, 2009
Here's that address...
First Lady Michelle Obama
White House at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington DC 20500
Quotes
“Eloquently presents the universal fear, sorrow, and suffering experienced by mothers whose lives have been profoundly affected by war.”
- Mary Tillman, mother of Pat Tillman killed in Afghanistan and co-author, Boots on the Ground by Dusk
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“A heartfelt and gut-wrenching account–a must read for anyone wanting to understand the effects of modern war.”
- Dr. Andrew Bacevich, father of Andrew killed in Iraq and author of The Limits of Power: American Exceptionalism
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“A profound illustration of the bond between mothers and their children and of the universal instinct every mother has to be a protector.”
- Cindy Sheehan, mother of Casey killed in Iraq and author, Not One More Mother's Child
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“An indispensable perspective on the wars that have laid waste to Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere.”
- David Harris, Vietnam War Conscientious Objector and author, Our War - What We Did In Vietnam and What It Did to Us
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