I have not really found anything too interesting yet among the new television series. The Middle seemed to have potential, but has not impressed much over the first few episodes. The Good Wife also has potential but it has had a few too many coincidences (a not so likely chance finding by the lead was a repeated plot point in the few episodes I saw). So, re-watching Major Dad episodes online remains a useful resource.*
One episode concerns the oldest protesting against a school policy against the latest fad: wearing boxer shorts on the outside. She plans to write an op-ed in her school paper (her mom is a reporter and saw this as better than just complaining) but a teacher opposes the idea. Her mom is unable to go to the scheduled appointment, but the major surprises the daughter by supporting her right to write the op-ed (reminding the teacher he has a duty to uphold the Constitution), still thinking the school's dress policy is sound. Meanwhile, he has to deal with a military supply problem involving toilet paper.
Not a bad little lesson to teach via a sitcom. Not that every episode has some "message" though there were a fair number each season, particularly since the very point of the series was to show the struggles of two different people to adapt to each others' lives. It also reminded me of something I wrote about school uniforms some time back. A taste:
Education today is full with problems, including overworked teachers, violence and drugs, uneducated students, lousy physical plants, and more. The solutions are complex and highly debated, including federal and state funding, federal standards, school vouchers, privately controlled schools, ignoring certain students from various neighborhoods and ethnic backgrounds, and so on. Pretty far down the line is requiring students to wear uniforms, uniforms that are often boring unless they are used for some twisted fantasy or something.
The show also touched upon various military issues, again in a way appropriate to a largely light sitcom, if one that sometimes dealt with serious topics. For instance, it dealt with the push to close bases, the major's new base (he moved from a training role to a more office related position -- a "staff weenie") needing to show a reason for its continual existence. The show also dealt with the readiness necessary for the First Gulf War. A more "Spanish American War" sort of affair than its sequel and the events in Afghanistan.
Recently, the 7th Heaven episode where Ruthie's penpal died in Afghanistan was rebroadcast. Not to degrade the terrors of the conflict, but a recent article put such deaths (on our end) in perspective:
As of Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009, at least 805 members of the U.S. military had died in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan as a result of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, according to the Defense Department.The department last updated its figures Wednesday at 10 a.m. EDT.
This is something like one-fifth of U.S. troops dead in Iraq and that in two years less time. Lots more were injured as well. The numbers of locals killed as well (even without looking for exact details) are quite different in the two locales as well. Putting that aside, it says something when an average of one hundred a year dead is deemed significant in a major conflict. Compare this to past wars. It might also suggest how we can linger on and on there, particularly when we are not dealing with the draft here (though some were pressured to join for monetary or other reasons).
The harm to locals, threat to foreign policy and terrorism related blowback, the cost, and so forth all make Afghanistan a major issue. And, hundreds of American lives, plus more wounded in some fashion remains quite important, particularly when if you are going to risk them, a wasteful policy does not do them justice. But, the numbers -- even in Iraq to be honest -- still strikes me. So much changed, and is different on our side, when we can even list our dead in thousands over so much time, so many risky affairs that also included direct action.
It helps to explain how we can have such a continual military presence without a much larger immediate concern by the public and their government.
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* The sitcom concerns a by the book Marine who suddenly falls in love and marries a liberal civilian with three daughters.