When the US left Vietnam, like everyone I dreamed of a future without war. I actually believed it was possible, and it was a hard death to optimism when George Senior took on Iraq. The worst part is that I feel personally responsible for every person who dies due to the actions of my government. Even as a child I took on that guilt. And now I have the added guilt that we're doing the same thing to our own children. In this image I've combined child-like drawings with the style of illustration for children's books. To symbolize what they see, and what we tell them. The sea theme, big fish eating littler fish, transforms in the bottom left into the little fish ganging up on the big fish. I've put stick figure guns in the hands of the children to reflect that sense of culpability children take on. In the lower right is the mouse that roared. An homage to the book (and film,) and also a pondering if we're the big bully who'll be taken down by the tiny mouse. As Joseph Campbell said, artists are the shaman of our era. It isn't my intent to convert anyone, or to offend anyone. I believe I am obligated to speak my conscience through my art. May peace come to our children.