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James Glaser

Friday’s Weekend Column
Starting out Kind of New

by James Glaser
September 3, 2004

If you will look at the photograph of me at the top of the page, you will see that I am almost clean cut. Well to be honest, that is a new look.

Last week I had about sixteen inches of my hair cut off and maybe a foot of my beard is now history. It was time for a change, some people said it was way past time. I know I freaked my kids out as none of them had ever seen me with short hair.

I thought it would be harder to do than it was, of course it did take four haircuts in a week, before it got to this stage. I was able to donate the real long stuff to kids who have cancer and need wigs, so some good came out of it.

I guess I was sick of being a "Vietnam Vet," at least an angry one, but you know what? Cutting the hair, took none of the anger away. I still get angry every time George Bush praises the troops, he is such a piece of shit. Young American men and women are dying so that he can puff our his chest and the man doesn't have the decency to go to even one funeral

Hundreds if not thousands of Soldiers and Marines have given their limb or limbs so that George can pretend that he is a "War President. It is reported by the Veterans Administration that about 17% of the troops who return from Iraq, have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. That means we will have another fifty thousand plus angry vets before this War in Iraq is over.

I cut my hair for a change, and because I want to start talking in public again about how horrible war is and how America creates more hate every time we kill innocent people. I didn't want people to focus on my image, but on my words.

I needed a change too. 2004 has not been a good year for me, there has been a lot of pain and a lot of sorrow.