It is the VETERAN, not the preacher,
who has given us freedom of religion.
It is the VETERAN, not the reporter,
who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the VETERAN, not the poet,
who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the VETERAN, not the community organizer, who has given us freedom to assemble.
It is the VETERAN, not the lawyer,
who has given us the right to a fair trial.
It is the VETERAN, not the politician,
Who has given us the right to vote.
It is the VETERAN who
salutes the Flag,
It is the VETERAN
who serves under the Flag,
ETERNAL REST GRANT THEM O LORD, AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM.
On behalf of Hotdads I'd like to say thank you to everyone who served or has/had family members that serve(d).
The reason for Memorial day is to remember all the folks who have and are fighting and dying to preserve freedom and liberty here at home and around the globe. One thing stands between relative peace and world wide chaos, that is the United States military. Make no mistake without them we would be in a perpetual state of Clusterfuckites (that is a southern term mail me if you need a definition).
Also remember the U.S. military is a 100% volunteer force, they serve because they WANT to. Think about that. Someone is willing to volunteer to strap on a helmet pick up a gun and go fight, risking death, risking not ever having their own family or leaving their kids and spouse alone for a minimal pay check (surely minimal in the risk/reward sense) so YOU can be free, so you and yours can prosper, so you can walk the streets in relative safety. That is surely something to be thankful for.
The U.S. military is an honorable and noble fighting force, in the last 100 years fighting all over the world and never taking land nor treasure from the vanquished, simply spreading freedom, or protecting it. So the better portion of people who might possibly read this should be damn thankful for the U.S. military that fought to protect them.
Here is a quote from Colin Powell.... read it, after that I shall wax poetic.
Colin Powell in response to a question about the United States and Empire building
There is nothing in American experience or in American political life or in our culture that suggests we want to use hard power. But what we have found over the decades is that unless you do have hard power -- and here I think you're referring to military power -- then sometimes you are faced with situations that you can't deal with.
I mean, it was not soft power that freed Europe. It was hard power. And what followed immediately after hard power? Did the United States ask for dominion over a single nation in Europe? No. Soft power came in the Marshall Plan. Soft power came with American GIs who put their weapons down once the war was over and helped all those nations rebuild. We did the same thing in Japan.
So our record of living our values and letting our values be an inspiration to others I think is clear. And I don't think I have anything to be ashamed of or apologize for with respect to what America has done for the world. [Applause.]
We have gone forth from our shores repeatedly over the last hundred years and we've done this as recently as the last year in Afghanistan and put wonderful young men and women at risk, many of whom have lost their lives, and we have asked for nothing except enough ground to bury them in, and otherwise we have returned home to seek our own, you know, to seek our own lives in peace, to live our own lives in peace. But there comes a time when soft power or talking with evil will not work where, unfortunately, hard power is the only thing that works.
Now for poetic waxing.
When you hear these people from other countries putting down the U.S. and hear them talk smack about Bush or Reagan or whoever is President then you have a choice, you can piss on history and the folks who did take up arms and fight and die to protect, liberate or otherwise help THOSE SAME PEOPLE that are now bitching by joining them with their U.S. bashing, or you can go Johnny Cash on them.
With a big Fuck you to the scum sucking rat bastards. Your choice. But be damn sure when you do choose sides know a whole hell of a lot of braver people than you or I fought and died so you even had a choice to make. It is easy to tell who's side you are on by how you group yourself. Like Momma said, you will be judged by the company you keep.
Say a prayer for a warrior today. Odds are somewhere on the globe a current or past warrior will die leaving family and friends to mourn them.
How'd my poetic waxing go?
Thank a warrior, thank their family, say a prayer, give a donation.
I also hope you take the time to teach your kids what Memorial day is all about.
Didja hit the giveaway? Memorial Day is the last day! Easy to enter, enter as often as you'd like!
Go see what the Real World has going on!
Posted here today too.
