“I believe that the Government's first duty is to defend its citizens, to defend them against the harms that come out of hate.” FirstsBelieveGovernmentHateI BelieveDutyCitizensHarm Author:Gordon Smith
“I think I'm still just as conflicted about the war as I always was. On the one hand, I was a soldier carrying out his duty, following his allegiance to his country and to the mission at hand. But yet, there was always this unease plaguing me. "What are we doing here?" "Are we really fixing this country or are we doing more harm than good?" And the most pressing question: "How do we pull ourselves out of this quicksand?" I think I'm still there in that white space you mentioned, trying to get clarity for myself on what this war did to us as a nation.” ThinkingTryingStillsWarCountryHandsNationsSpaceWhiteDutySoldierFollowingMissionsHarmClarityAllegianceFixingQuicksandWhite Space Author:Dave Abrams
“Her visits to her former hometown were infrequent and often painful. Pilgrimages fueled by the tepid oxygen of family duty, unease, guilt. The more Esther loved her parents, the more helpless she felt, as they aged, to protect them from harm. A moral coward, she kept her distance.” FeltParentMoralDutyProtectDistanceGuiltPainfulHarmFormerCowardHelplessOxygenHometownPilgrimageEsther Author:Joyce Carol Oates