The heart of a mother

UPDATE Aug. 25: National Coverage for Jason Redifer's mother, the subject of my post below:

Rhonda Winfield, whose son, Jason Redifer, was killed in action in Iraq in January, will appear on "Fox News Sunday" Aug. 28, 2005, to address her thoughts on the war. The broadcast will air live at 9 a.m. Sunday.

As the number of U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq nears 2,000, BBC News visits a Virginia community where the death of a teenager put a face on a distant conflict. (Aug. 11, 2005)

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All anyone needs to do to marvel at that special something in the heart of a mother is to watch any mother with her children, and the incredible sacrifices that a mother makes to raise her child. No matter what's said by comedians, or by us about them decades later on the couch, there's no gainsaying that there's nothing more special than our mothers.

Sadly, I've been near several mothers who have lost their children, including my own mother who never recovered. I'll venture no guess how she would have acted if I'd been killed in Vietnam. She was not political, but my family is liberal politically of the old-fashioned (how sad it is to say that about liberals) patriotic kind that used to always vote Democrat. I can't believe that she'd have dishonored me by lying that I hadn't volunteered for and hadn't believed in what we did in Vietnam.

There's something, also, special about a small town. The Flatbush of Brooklyn, N.Y. that I grew up in was like a small town: multi-generationally stable, everyone knew each other, with almost any type store, education or service nearby.

So, I've been fascinated with the stories done by the editor, Chris Graham, of the Augusta Free Press (a newspaper where I've had many columns) about the family and the area's mourning and reactions to the death of Jason Redifer in Iraq. Chris is certainly not a conservative, but rather one of the old-fashioned patriotic liberals that I've been so proud to associate with throughout my life.

Chris Graham has again applied his balanced reporting to a follow-up with Jason's mother regarding her feelings about another mother's loss and behavior, Cindy Sheehan. After reading that, scroll to the bottom and click on Remembering Jason for the earlier reports. Together, this reporting by Chris Graham offers a unique comprehensive narration of the loss of a son in Iraq, how it affects a family and neighbors, and the dignity provided to Jason's ultimate sacrifice.