meerkat - I feel the same way, on so many levels. Even if they do DNA testing and successfully match up every kid with every parent (like that will ever happen), it still does not erase the trauma that these families have been put through. How do you deal with the fact that an institution has, in all of our names, done something so unspeakably cruel. When I heard that nursing mothers were being separated from their children I had to go and cry. I just can't even imagine what I would do if my nursling was taken from me.
As for the marches, I've been having the fear that this administration is totally the type to put people on lists and come to the same conclusion as you. I also know what kinds of "security" devices are out there to track people, and almost certainly deployed by not only our government but others too. But I'm still going to march.
This has all been making me think of The Hunger Games, actually. In the (third?) movie there's a scene where people rush a dam to destroy it and hurt the government. They know that for pretty much all of them it's going to be a suicide mission and they do it anyway. That scene left me so hollow and since seeing it I've been asking myself, what's the point at which that is worth it? I have kids. At what point is it worth risking my freedom and their safety to fight injustice? I decided that the risk of not taking action has to outweigh that of taking action and this, I think, is one of those moments. I cannot go quietly about my life and accept that this is happening in my country, that this is happening "on my behalf" by my government. On behalf of my kids by their government. I do not think the government is serving us anymore (and, realistically, hasn't been for quite a while) so staying silent will only make things worse. This is (one of the places) where I'm taking a stand and saying absolutely not. This is one of the times and situations when making a stand, even at high cost, is worth it to me.
Sam, does that help? To know that there are others, outside of the military, who are also going to be "fighting" this fight? I think you should stay in as long as you can, trying to change things when and where you can, until the point at which it either becomes untenable for you to uphold this system, or when you are asked to turn a blind eye or carry out immoral actions. Then quit, loudly and vociferously. We'll all be with you.
Out of curiosity, what's Petrie's thought and opinion on this? She's also military, so I'm assuming the two of you have had conversations in the quiet dark together.