Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau for July 30, 2009

Is B. D. left-handed? He’s wearing his watch on the right wrist.

This is a weird one. She happily announces her progress, he replies like BD would She reacts in an angry condescending way.

Their backstory is that she was harassed and had a problem with men in authority in the military. BD has seemed to flirt with her in the past, although I don’t know their ranks.

All in all, I’m thinking she hasn’t progressed all that far, and the men in the sandbox might be in for trouble.

–Ed

It’s simpler than that. She can go back. He can’t.

I think diggitt is correct on this call.

I think she’s asking him if he’s managed to deal with his issues successfully–and he’s been surprised.

Baslim, I think you’ve got it. The one-word question is more of an accusation that BD’s just not doing the work.

Surely one of these possibilities:

Melissa is going back, BD can’t. (As diggit said). 1.a. BD feels a responsibility to go back, and guilt that he can’t.

He may have formed a particular attachment to Melissa, as she, being so gung ho and in uniform, is a woman he feels he has more in common with, and can relate to (note Boopsie has been voicing more of her own opinions and may be growing apart from BD). 2.a. Not to mention maybe a bit of a paternal attachment to her, again sort of parallelling his own semi-detachment from his own daughter.

Altogether, I’d say he is attracted to her vulnerability, as a comrade, protector, as well as a certain sexual attraction.

Looks like she’s made a lot of progress and he’s made none…with her…

(…can’t help it…snicker…”both handed person”…lol…I know, grow up already…snicker…Good one Joe…)

my guess is that you have to tune in tomorrow to find out what this is about

I think Wildcard’s got it: all of the above.

…

When you’re wounded and left on Afghanistan’s plains, And the women come out to cut up what remains, Just roll to your rifle and blow out your brains And go to your God like a soldier. … Soldier of the Queen!

THE YOUNG BRITISH SOLDIER (excerpt) Rudyard Kipling (1892)

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Why not enlist again Melissa? You obviously like the military lifestyle, despite your unfortunate previous experience. Surely the other soldiers have had their consciousness raised in the interim. And if indeed all you do is work on “choppers” in a back support area, the odds are very slight you’ll be called upon to make the “ultimate sacrifice.” It sounds like a patriotic - and altruistic - action on your part.

“Choppers” (helicopters) are very much frontline – she may very well be called to make that sacrifice! (But thanks for the Kipling quote – very appropriate.)