Driving around yesterday, It was amazing to see all the flags out along the streets! Not only were the 'standard' US flags out, but many people supplemented them with Army, Navy, Marine Corp, and POW/MIA flags (Sorry, Air Force, didn't see any of yours). I downloaded a great CD yesterday from Amazon- "God Bless America' by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. I know my patriotic/marching music sometimes drives people nuts, and the same goes for my Tab Choir CD's, so I guess you're getting the best of both worlds! They've got some great songs, though, like "This is the Army Mr. Jones," "Over There," and the services' songs (albeit with alterations to the lyrics): "The Caissons Go Rolling Along," "Anchors Aweigh," "The Marine Corp Hymn," and "The United States Air Force." Great, great stuff.
We owe a great debt to those who've gone before: if it weren't for those who risked everything in the Revolution, we'd still be a colony. If it weren't for the soldiers in the War of 1812, we'd again be a British colony. Without all those who gave their lives in the Civil War, we'd be a weak coalition of states, instead of a great Federal power (not to mention the 'freedom' of the colored people, which sometimes still needs defending). Without all who gave their lives in foreign climes like France, Germany, Italy, and North Africa we would have been subject to the whims of a madman named Adolf Hitler. Without the sacrifices in the Pacific our brothers in Hawaii, Alaska, and perhaps even the West Coast could have been subject to the savagery of the Japanese Army under the command of it's War Ministers (look at their record in China and Manchuria in the late 30's).
The wars in Korea and Vietnam are still up for debate, but I think the soldiers still deserve recognition for their bravery- perhaps even more so, for their enemy wasn't the great oppressor aimed at the US but soldiers fighting for an ideology. They stood and fought, even when they knew they'd never get a ticker-tape parade down Broadway (unless your name is Douglas MacArthur), even when they knew there were crowds who decried them for obeying the orders of their government. To all you who fought: I salute you. Do not be ashamed to have answered the call of your country, for obedience is the first law of heaven!
To the troops fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq, I give my heartfelt thanks. You are men and women of my generation. You are my brothers and sisters, and despite what spin the news tries to put on things, you are good people! Your cause is just. I sleep easier at night, knowing that because of your grand sacrifice we are safer here at home. You are forever in our prayers.
Next time you see the flag, remember what it stands for. "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." Rights. Freedoms. Privileges. Responsibilities. Next time you see a flag, remember that this (dare I say?) holy symbol is used to drape the coffins of those who gave their life for you. The flag stands tall, a symbol of our country. Remember that for soldiers fighting in war, that flag represents home and freedom Free speech is one of those Rights implied by the Declaration of Independence and guaranteed by the Constitution, but show some respect! You want to disagree with the decisions of a certain man, blame him! Do not destroy the symbol of this great God-given country! To burn the flag is to burn yourself, for what is America? Is America mortal politicians, fraught with mortal mistakes? No! It is the spirit within each of us that says, "Yes, we can create a 'more perfect Union!'" It is the spirit that says, "I will lay down my life so that my brothers and my sisters can be free!" America is us!
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