> Is there value in fuss?  Sure.  But there's also value in respect and dignity.

 

 Kyle is a very wise man! He has managed to hit the nail on the head. I believe that so often folks see showing respect and dignity as somehow depriving them of “freedom.” The older I get the more I see it as a matter of maturity.  I believe that the artist is definitely aiming for fuss. But fuss alone is not a positive outcome. You don’t get to meaningful dialog by poking the other guy in the eye with a stick…all of his focus is going to be on the injured eye. If the artist is looking to educate viewers he needs to start designing backwards…what will get to the desired effect and then planning to that effect.

 

As far as soldiers’ state loyalty, there are parallels in our modern military. As a previous writer expressed, we now see ourselves as Americans first. Both of my children are serving in the US military. One is enlisted, the other an officer. Both joined pre-2001, and their motivation was to defend our country, and make the world a better place. One child is U.S.C.G. and has a wall full of commendations and a chest full of medals – mostly for search and rescue heroics, and drug interdiction. The other child is U.S.N.R. and manages oil spills/ship collisions as a civilian job. Neither young person is aggressive, anti-anyone, etc. When it became apparent that War with Iraq was imminent, both kids (without consulting each other or their parents) volunteered to go to Iraq. As it turns out, both possess skills and training that make them more valuable in other areas. They have nothing against Iraq, but everything FOR the U.S.A. I suspect that my children are far from unique – and it is the same mentality that has motivated soldiers/sailors throughout history, worldwide. Once you understand the motivation of individual troops it is far more difficult to vilify them. And this is exactly what the re-enactors are trying to get across.

 

Becky Fitzgerald

Executive Director

Susquehanna Museum