Sooner or Later…

*Don’t let the band name scare you off.  The video is part band in black & white, fully dressed in a warehouse no scantily clad girls in sight.  The rest is clips from a 1950’s movie titled “Johnny got his Guns”.  The music style is similiar to late 70s rock or modern Christian bands.

Quote “For freedom any man would give his only begotten son.”  Thoughtful enough?

The most profoundly haunting video I have ever seen is “One” by Metallica.  View it and come back.

Then on MSN is this story.  Not exactly the same but close.

Whether you agree with this war or not the question remains:  what do we owe our soldiers injured in the line of duty? When duty is voluntary, how much is enough from both the soldier and the government?  Is there a limit?  For the most severely injured are we doing enough?  Is this soldier’s care enough?  How much should a family have to pay to keep a soldier-child alive?

“In December 2003, he went home, to Manassas Park, Va., where his parents, Joseph Sr. and Eva, quit their jobs to care for him.

“All our savings, all our money, was just emptied … the 401(k)s, everything,” said Joseph Briseno, who took a new job a year and a half ago to make ends meet.”

“If you asked me this from the very beginning, if we can handle it, I wouldn’t lie to you. I would say no, that there is no way. There’s no way that we’re going to learn all these things. But my wife and I, we learned everything. We are the respiratory technician, we are the physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists … his wound care nurse,” Joseph Briseno said.

“It’s a lot of work and it’s hard, and some days are harder than the other days. But we don’t take this as a burden for us because he’s our son. We will do everything for him.”

The family has help from VA-provided nurses, but not around the clock. Jay’s mother and father often do overnight duty, making sure their son is turned every four hours so he does not develop bedsores, which can become infected and threaten his life. If they do not turn him and keep him on schedule, he does not sleep well and becomes agitated.

Nights are long when measured in four hour increments.  Life is long when the world is the size of a bedroom.

“One” 

I cant remember anything
Cant tell if this is true or dream
Deep down inside I feel to scream
This terrible silence stops me

Now that the war is through with me
Im waking up I can not see
That there is not much left of me
Nothing is real but pain now

Hold my breath as I wish for death
Oh please god,wake me

Back in the womb its much too real
In pumps life that I must feel
But cant look forward to reveal
Look to the time when Ill live

Fed through the tube that sticks in me
Just like a wartime novelty
Tied to machines that make me be
Cut this life off from me

Hold my breath as I wish for death
Oh please god,wake me
Now the world is gone Im just one
Oh god,help me hold my breath as I wish for death
Oh please God help me

Darkness imprisoning me
All that I see
Absolute horror
I cannot live
I cannot die
Trapped in myself
Body my holding cell

Landmine has taken my sight
Taken my speech
Taken my hearing
Taken my arms
Taken my legs
Taken my soul
Left me with life in hell

Read the background to the song here.