Searching for Hope on Public Radio

Sunday evening, after I dried the tears that welled up as I drove past a Memorial Day display of small crosses on a small patch of grass outside a local American Legion chapter, This American Life came on the radio. Usually full of odd, but fascinating gripping stories, it started off just that way. Except this Sunday it was about the Army and The Center for Lessons Learned. Ira Glass, the host of the show, said he couldn't help but feel hopeful after talking with the folks at the Center for Lessons Learned. He called the center "the US Army at its best." They decided to do a show based on this hope because "we wanted to feel a little hopeful for a change."

Shortly after I heard these words, I arrived at my destination and had to leave my car. But I too was hopeful. Hopeful that I would be able to get home and download and listen to the entire show. Then I too would be hopeful about the situation in Iraq.

Act I: Oops! We forgot to listen to the guy who said that we need to think about the occupation of Iraq after major combat operations were concluded. Hmmm. Lesson learned.

Act II: What's going on with the civilians? What are they thinking? Hyperfocus by the "liberals" on laying blame for us getting there. "Conservatives" calling for an alternative solution to the current predicament. I hear the same thing EVERYDAY. Hmmm. Not helping me be hopeful.

Act III: Withdrawal? What withdrawal? What will that mean? Will it be better or worse if we withdrawal? Thomas Ricks speaks from Baghdad. I don't think he actually answered any of these questions. Hopeful? Only becuause the guys who were in charge on the ground a couple of years ago are no longer in Iraq. Unfortunately, they are in Washington now. Does that inspire hope in you?

Hopeful? Any of it? Well, sometimes I really stretch to find the good news. They did the same here to find hope.

And BTW, the download is free for 1 week.