In this week’s Review, and in last week’s, we’ve highlighted local people working to make life a little better for soldiers and veterans of the United States military.
Lisa Rosenthal has developed a month-long art project at the Chicago Cultural Center that helps combat veterans and the public understand the lingering effects of war. Performance art, essays and paintings created from the experiences of these veterans will surely be a hard-hitting and emotional display. You can check out it on Feb. 23.
Meanwhile, a coffee shop owner has forged a bond over the Internet with a group of helicopter pilots stationed in Afghanistan, and he would like to raise a little money to bring them some of life’s creature comforts. The soldiers have offered to host a barbecue to show their appreciation. To donate, talk to Terry Griffin at Blue Max Coffee.
What is important to remember about this country’s military is that it is a volunteer group. No one forced them to leave their families or stand in harm’s way. They have risked their health and their sanity for us.
We can and should argue the reasons for deploying our soldiers, but there should be no debate about the people who fill those uniforms. They need our support.
