Pacific Northwest Rocks!
One more event in the Puget Sound area today... Coffee Strong, a GI supported coffee shop located in Lakewood right near the entrance to US Army base Ft. Lewis.
Last night I was in Tacoma at the 1st United Methodist Church where the people are so generous and warm-hearted. This church reaches out to residents in an area that is seeing its share of urban stress - misuse of drugs and alcohol, stressed families, for example - and they're doing it with heart, spirit, and an excellent understanding of how these stresses come about.
This afternoon I visit Coffee Strong, 15109 Union Ave SW #2, in Lakewood where I'll ask veterans to share their stories. It is the veterans and those directly affected by the combat zones who have the most to teach "us" - American citizens - about war. Too often, though, the response these vets get from the citizens is an implicit request for silence.
As one vet told me, “Most people on the streets don’t want to know what has to happen for them to have one of the highest living standards in the world… just like you don’t want to see the back room of the butcher shop….”
The troops are often a source of deep truth when they tell their stories of war and a real inspiration.
I'll be airing some of the audio from the various stops on Monday's Raising Sand Radio so listen it when you can. The website carries all shows for free download: www.raisingsandradio.org.
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