NATE LEWIS
We are Still Here ©Nate Lewis
ME AND MY RIFLE
Why did I like carrying an M-16? I waited in line with the others in Basic Training like it was Christmas morning. It's strange to think about now but I can tell you I was elated to receive the famous M-16. All the movies and video games never showed me what it truly is. During my time in the Army I finally understood what a rifle was all about. It's a tool of death. Never has it created something, or fixed a problem. It doesn't spread democracy. It doesn't spread peace. A rifle crack is quick, sharp and final.
Now that I have acknowledged that the M-16 is far from a toy I again ask why? I have to be honest. I loved carrying a rifle. After a while it fused into my skin, bones character and soul. Am I evil for that? Am I a violent monster? Well let me tell you something. I came from an average all-American family. My mom is a schoolteacher. Our walls are filled with pictures of little league, vacations, grandkids, high school and weddings. I open doors for little old ladies. Yes I can safely say that I'm American and I loved the M-16. If I am a normal lower middle-class lad, then something is wrong.
Why did I know the difference between an M-16 and an AK-47 before I could compare a Hindu to a Muslim, or a poem to a Haiku?
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NATE LEWIS |
