Everyone has a story, pt. 2

At a concert on SE Morrison St., Portland

A 21 year old Marine, discharged for medical reasons. He tells me of things he knows that has led him to hate the war. He tells me about a weapon called 'fire and forget' that costs $100,000 and can only be used once. He tells me that they play with these weapons like they are waterguns. He tells me of a gunship that can cordon off an area and then destroy everything within the perimeter. He tells me of an Afghan village where they used this because an old woman yelled at an American soldier. An. entire. village. destroyed. He tells me that he wants to become a Buddhist and that he is going to walk cross country from Virginia to Washington over the course of 10 months in order to be alone with his thoughts. There is something peaceful about this man.