On the Rainy River

This story made me think about how hard it must be for all the people who go to war just because of everyone else's expectations. It's crazy to think that we, as human beings, force people to go off to some remote place and kill complete strangers--and then have the nerve to criticize them for not doing it. This chapter sorta reminded me of how my dad must have felt when he got drafted. He had his mind set on playing football, and he was happy, then he got drafted and didn't have a say in anything about it because 1.) he was only 19. 2.) his father had pressured him. and 3.) it was his "duty" to do so as an American. And in this chapter, I got to see all the emotions that men go through when they're afraid. It's bizarre, really. Especially the part when he's on the boat with the old guy and just breaks down in front of what seems to be the entire world.