Mooney's Class
Edward Mooney, Jr.
Antelope Valley Press
August 29, 2005

Title:  Have a yellow ribbon?

My son-in-law Richard just left to go through US Army basic training.   My
daughter Sarah and their two children will wait for months to see him again.
I've felt helpless these last couple of weeks - I see their fear and worry
first hand.

The day after he left Sarah handed me a sticker that proudly announces that
I'm the parent of a soldier.  She told me that Richard wanted it to be on my
car.  I was humbled.  I agreed to display it in honor of Richard's father,
another Army veteran, who passed away last October.  He rightfully deserves
to display that sticker with a star.  If you see my truck, think of Richard,
Sr., and his son.  They stand together, two generations defending this land.

As I applied the decal on my back window I felt tears well up.  Since that
terrible September 11th, I've felt really, really helpless.  I tried to get
back into the Army.  I'm too old.  Any of us who wore the uniform, even
someone like me with nothing worthwhile to claim, hurt inside.  When our
nation was attacked we weren't there for her.

I find myself regularly watching the AV's own R. Lee Ermey and his History
Channel show - maybe I can serve vicariously through his trips to
Afghanistan and Iraq.  Well, Gunny?  Could you use an old Army lieutenant
who never really spent much time in uniform?  Something felt wrong.

Then the reason dawned on me.  In World War II we mobilized the home front.
I'm told that we had "Victory Gardens", USO shows, and the rationing of
gasoline.  Everyone pulled together because every resource not used by our
soldiers prolonged the war.  We aren't doing this now.

Folks, we have a serious, knockdown, drag-out fight going on "over there".
Our own Dennis Anderson can attest to that.  I'm going to say something that
needs to be said: we're helping the other side every time we waste gasoline.
We need to break our addiction to foreign oil.  I'm convinced that large
chunks of the cash we send overseas for oil is siphoned into the camps of
those terrorists and extremists.  If you display a "Support Our Troops"
ribbon on your car and you aren't cutting back on gas usage, you're not
supporting them.

Each of us on the home front can fight this war.  Cut our use of gasoline -
we can have a major effect on the enemy.  If you have the money, trade in
your gas-guzzling SUV for a hybrid car.  If you don't have the cash, do
SOMETHING.  Start carpooling.  Combine errands into one trip.  Take the bus
or train.  At the least, keep your tires properly inflated, get regular
tune-ups, and use your air conditioning sparingly (now that's a sacrifice
here!).

Other ideas: ride a bike, walk sometimes, and use phone calls instead.   Buy
things on the Internet instead of driving somewhere.  Unload any junk that
you store in your trunk, so you can get better mileage.  Join with a
neighbor and do your weekly shopping together, using one larger car, in one
trip.

How will all of this help our troops?  A drop in gasoline usage starts
choking the flow of oil cash going overseas.  Certain foreign oil producers
will then have less cash to donate to terrorist causes.  Remember an
economics lesson: price follows demand.  As we use less, the price will
tumble.  They'll make less.

So, put something on YOUR car this week - and in your daily life: a "Support
Our Troops" ribbon AND less gas in the tank.  I'm cutting gas usage 20%.
Don't just sport the yellow ribbon magnet - cut off the pump to REALLY back
it up!

I feel strong, and no longer helpless.  I can lash out at those who've
attacked our land.  Let's break this foreign oil addiction.

Richard, you're not alone out there at boot camp.  I'm going to do my part
here.  I hope I'll see more all over this valley and this nation.  We need
to make a clear statement to those who hate us overseas: EAT THE OIL!

Oh, and email if you need me, Gunny.

Thought for the Week:   "Every form of addiction is bad, no matter whether
the narcotic be alcohol or morphine or idealism."  - Carl Jung

Edward Mooney, Jr., of Palmdale, is a teacher at Quartz Hill High School and
the author of the novels "The Pearls of the Stone Man" and "The Journey of
the Stone Man".