A caravan driving through the desert

Only an unpaved dirt road underneath

A small town up ahead we see everyday

A few dozen people and more decrepit buildings

Nothing has ever happened at this location

Only onlookers stare at our Humvees

But today there was some excitement

An old woman decided to run out into the road

Being the squad’s medic, i had to stay in the Humvee

i watched as the Captain tried to convince her to move

After she threw herself to her knees

There were more onlookers watching the commotion

She is screaming at the Captain

in a language i don’t comprehend

Finally the mayor of the village finds his way

After he has emerged, our captain asks him to move the woman

Instead and quite disturbingly he tells us to shoot her

to take the gun at our chests and put a bullet in her head

The immediate response is stunned silence

Followed by a question, “Can you repeat that?”

Instead of answering the question he continues on

“this is why you’ll never win! These people don’t believe in peace!”

“because you don’t use those guns, no one will fear you.

You will never be able to control the places you invade.”

I was utterly shocked to learn this man’s way of thinking

He still believed the one with the biggest stick was in charge

As I start to look around, those who could understand

Were nodding along with their mayor

I was not the only one who took notice of this phenomena

The Captain took one last look around and grabbed the woman

He dragged her to the side of the road and signaled the caravan

We started to move ahead after what felt an eternity

Only five mere minutes and now I know more of these people

My perspective will never be the same and theirs will never change