Battle Fatigue Read Online Free PDF Page B

used to wear hats but John Kennedy doesn’t wear one and so we will not wear hats. He is the future.
    We are all talking about these things in school, about the torch being passed and not wearing hats and paying any price and how Jackie is beautiful and speaks French. I don’t know why everyone likes her speaking French so much. We have started French in school and we don’t want to have to speak it. Maybe being beautiful and speaking French is a good combination.
    But I heard other things in Kennedy’s speech that I didn’t talk about just then. No one would want to. Everyone was too excited. But Mr. Walter talked about them anyway, pointing out that Kennedy said, “The world is very different now. For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life.” Mr. Walter looked around the room and said, “What’s that about, cats?”
    â€œDo we really have the power to abolish all forms of human poverty?” I ask.
    â€œOf course we do,” says Donnie, sounding annoyed. “And Kennedy’s going to do it.” And the class cheers again.
    â€œBut aren’t we spending more time and money on the other stuff?” I ask.
    â€œWhat other stuff?” says Kathy Pedrosky in a voice that makes it clear she thinks I am disgusting.
    I don’t want to be disgusting to Kathy Pedrosky but I want to understand. So I keep going. “Why are we building things to abolish all forms of human life?”
    â€œWhat are you talking about, Joel?” asks Kathy, pronouncing my name like it is the dumbest sound she ever heard. I want to just drop the whole thing. But she insists, “What?”
    â€œThe bomb. The A-bomb.”
    The class laughs, possibly because my voice breaks when I say “A.” It comes out in a high squeak.
    I don’t want to talk about it anymore but it is bothering me. Kennedy mentioned “the deadly atom” and “mankind’s final war.” Is that what my war is going to be? A final war with nuclear weapons that ends the world?
    It is funny that just as Kennedy arrives and fills us with hope, I am starting to think about a lot of things besides the Yankees and the Republicans, and a lot of those things are really scaring me.
    I ask Dickey Panicelli what he thinks about World War II and the bomb because he is older and knows about things. His long hair falls over his face and he throws it back with his hand before he speaks, giving him a James Dean aura, James Dean being the actor whose aura we most want. You want to know what someone thinks who can do that with his hair. Only it is hard to hear him over his lawn mower engine. He says something about “the Communists” and I guess that makes sense. We have to stand up for what is right. The Germans didn’t, and they allowed concentration camps. We can’t be like that. We have to be willing to pay any price to ensure the survival of liberty.
    I am not the only one thinking this stuff. We all talk about it—World War III and the end of the planet. There is a movement called “Ban the Bomb.” Shouldn’t the atom bomb be banned? Mr. Shaker, who is my teacher this year, says that we want to ban the bomb but can’t because the Russians have it. Russia is the big problem because they are Communists. Nobody will explain to me what Communists are. Most people say they are people who want to take away freedom. But some say they want to share everything. The first group must be right, otherwise why would we pay any price to stop them? But I wish I knew more because everyone says that the next war is going to be with the Communists. Actually, a lot of people say we are at war with them now, but it is a “cold war.” “Cold” means no shooting. But that is just for now.
    Does paying any price include destroying the entire world? Most of my friends don’t want to talk about that just