As we turn our (cautious, tentative) cartwheels over the (cautious, tentative) good news from the Gulf, stop for a moment to consider the two Minnesota families who have just lost their sons in Afghanistan. Any family dealing with grief will tell you that it seems surreal how the world carries on, despite the loss of the most important person in the universe. How much more surreal it must seem when the one you are grieving has died in service to the country — in service to those people who are carrying on as if nothing has happened. In fact, who are rejoicing over good news that has nothing to do with the war.
So read the names of these two soldiers: Spc. Matthew Johnson of Maplewood and First Lt. Christopher Goeke of Apple Valley. Take a moment to ponder what they and their families have sacrificed on our behalf.