I can't think of a war that can, in all good conscience, be justified. Perhaps one, the current war in Afghanistan. I am speaking solely of Afghanistan and not including the debacle in Iraq. This book is in the format of postcards that might have been sent by warriors. It tells the story of the men in my family who went off to war for whatever reason. Every one knows that wars are futile, that the only people who profit are the men who own big businesses, and that women and children are most often collateral damage. I think that women are largely responsible for wars. We let our men teach our boys about guns and killing and we stand silently by as those same little boys grow up to be violent men who have no negotiating skills, no love of peace and no idea of how to settle things with words rather than with weapons. Men are not inherently violent. We teach them to be that way. We ridicule them when they show emotion and we reward them when they are aggressive and competitive. Oh, when will we ever learn?

   ◊ Lenore