As the mother of a soldier preparing to deploy in the next several weeks, I find this article highlighting the "Cheerman of the Board" quite distasteful. War is no laughing matter.

January 15th, 2006

As the mother of a soldier preparing to deploy in the next several weeks, I find this article highlighting the "Cheerman of the Board" quite distasteful.  War is no laughing matter. 

Walking like a penguin or laughing like a lion is not going to alleviate the stress of a parent whose only son is facing death on a daily basis.  It is not going to lessen the stress of a wife who is expecting a child with a husband half a world away.  It is not going to comfort a child who is experiencing the loss of a beloved parent.  Real concerns are not eliminated by faked or forced laughter.  And to those families who have lost a loved one, this article and its simplistic attitude is a slap in the face.

I would suggest that rather than laugh therapy, the Pentagon concentrates on expediting body armor to keep our loved ones safer.  Or better yet - concentrate on a plan to bring our family members home.  Then, through tears of joy, we all can laugh.

Marge Haracz

Military Families Speak Out

Mundelein, IL