Today's been both interesting and productive. When I opened my email this morning I found an inquiry from the cartoonist Gary Trudeau's Doonesbury website. On or about October 8th they plan on launching something called "The Sandbox". Here's the description given to me by their representative:
"Welcome to our command-wide milblog, featuring comments, anecdotes, and observations from servicemembers currently serving in OIF and OEF. This is GWOT-lit's forward position, offering those in-country a chance to share their experiences and reflections with the rest of us. The Sandbox's focus on is not on policy and partisanship (go to our Blowback page for that), but on the unclassified details of deployment -- the everyday, the extraordinary, the wonderful, the messed-up, the absurd. The Sandbox is a clean, lightly-edited debriefing environment where all correspondence is read, and as much as possible is posted. All content, no matter how robust, is secured by the First Amendment."
Much like the New York Times' TimesSelect website's Frontlines section and the BBC's Radio5 Live, I've been invited to contribute, which I've agreed to do. To be honest, I'm not a big fan of Doonesbury at the moment, but in the interest of keeping the dialogue open between the right and left I'll gladly participate. At some point the healing in our body politic has got to start.
Today President Bush gave a very spirited speech to the Reserve Officers Association. I found myself saying "Amen, brother" quite a few times. Hey George, please add my name to your comment today to GOP leaders, "I will not withdraw, even if Laura and Barney and Warrant Officer Mike Fay are the only ones supporting me."
Here's a finished drawing I started yesterday and completed today.
7 comments:
I hope you know what you are getting yourself into. I took a look at the Slate sight and talk about left-wing. I decided to participate in the straw poll just to see which way it was leaning . . .I don't believe that 56% of Republicans who voted in that poll believe that Bush is wrong on the torture legislation.
I hope they play fair with you and everyone else. I am not sure Mr. Trudeau knows what the meaning of fair is.
And as far as healing the body politic ... both sides need to come to the table for that to happen. From what I see coming from the left (look what the are doing to George Allen) I don't believe it will happen any time soon. Lefties don't want to just win on a fair playing field. . . they want to destroy their opponent. It is disgusting. Beware Sir.
Beautiful work, as always.
I think you are the perfect person for this assignment. Your "BS meter" is very fine-tuned, and you have a great way of communicating. And, if you can't find the words, you could always draw a picture! I am so thankful for you!
Semper gratus!
Drawing reminds me of a Tom Lea painting, published in Life Magazine of a Marine waiting to land on Peliliu. Several similarities.
Own a couple Lea prints (Western themes).
Wish you successes similar to Leas'.
V/R Jim West
Amen brother.
GREAT work, as always.
Thanks!
Just a spectacular portrait. He really comes alive in this. I'm focusing on the art :-) It seems safer that way...
Just so you don't think you went through all that trouble for nothing, I'm pretty far to the left and after reading your blog post on the Doonesbury site I went and added your feed to my aggregator. So I'll get all your updates now.
One little comment - I had to do a little hackery to get your feed so I could add it. If you put this link in on your homepage (maybe in the links section?) it'll make things easier for people like myself who come after:
http://mdfay.blogspot.com/atom.xml
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