I remember the 1940s as a time when we were united in a way known only to that generation. We belonged to a common cause-the war.

War continues to divide people to change them forever and I write about it both because I want people to understand the absolute futility of war the 'pity of war' as Wilfred Owen called it.

Rather than turning away from the staggering scale and depth of misery caused by war we must strive to develop our capacity to empathize and feel the sufferings of others.

President Kennedy was willing to go to war. He was not a coward. The man had been in war and so had Ken O'Donnell. He was ready to protect this nation but he was not ready for a military solution just because it was being rammed down his throat.

But does that mean that war and violence are inevitable? I would argue not because we have also evolved this amazingly sophisticated intellect and we are capable of controlling our innate behavior a lot of the time.

Say what you want to say about the rest of his presidency including his tone-deaf response to Katrina and a war waged in Iraq on false pretenses Bush connected with Americans in the aftermath of 9/11 because he looked as frail and unforgiving as we felt.

When I was a youngster growing up in South Dakota we never referred to the national debt it was always referred to as the war debt because it stemmed from World War I.

Republicans have been losing the war of words for years now. Now they are just caving because they don't even want to try. I don't agree with that approach.

I couldn't be happier that President Bush has stood up for having served in the National Guard because I can finally put an end to all those who questioned my motives for enlisting in the Army Reserve at the height of the Vietnam War.

I had nearly finished school because I was making effort not that bad on that. But there was a law in Germany after the war. You could not make your final examination before 18 so lots of people who were late because of the way had to do it first.