Dinner Conversation

Tonight's conversation over dinner randomly covered many topics as it usually does. Here is a slice from the middle of it.

LightGirl: "Why do Army people all have to look alike?"

LightHusband: "Well, the Army needs to encourage uniformity so that people can work together."

Me, "Because it makes it easier for people to kill one another when they all look alike."

LightHusband gave me a dirty look when I said that, reflecting his indoctrination in the U.S. Army some 20 odd years ago.

LightGirl, said "What? I understand why people need to work together, but what does it have to do with killing each other?"

Me, "When people all look alike they aren't really people anymore, they're just part of the unit, the opposing army and it's easier to kill them."

LightBoy interjected, "Just like when they made the Clone Army in Attack of the Clones in Star Wars II."

She still had a quizzical look on her face and I realized that I would have to remove a significant part of her innocence if I wanted to go any deeper, so I just said, "You'll understand it better as you grow older."

She said, "I don't think I'll like it, but I guess I'll understand it."

I don't like it either ... but it's the way we've been fighting wars ever since we started sharpening stones and throwing them at one another to protect our turf.

Then we moved on to a fascinating rendition of how they made garlic bread at Subway.