The Soldier: - By Charles M. Province
It is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.
If you can read this message thank a teacher, If you are reading it in English of your own free will THANK A SOLDIER!
It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.
It is the soldier, not the lawyer, who has given us the right to a fair trial.
It is the soldier, who salutes the flag, who serves under the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag,who allows the protester to burn the flag.
To all the brave men and women who have dedicated or given their lives to protecting this country and it's freedoms: Thank you.
1 comment:
I, like most Americans,am deeply grateful for the sacrifice made by each generation of American fighting men and women.It's true indeed that my freedom, given by God, was nonetheless procured and ensured by men-at -arms.
Nevertheless, I have this uneasy, back of my head, queasy feeling at the ongoing lauding of the military. It was George Washington who first warned about the dangers of a standing army in a republic.He himself was aware of the misuse that might ensue if a commander-in-chief used the military against it's own people.
Dwight Eisenhower also vociferously spoke out against the rising power of the military industrial complex that was gaining power in the aftermath of WWII. Indeed, many do not know that our interstate highway system was built out of funds from the Pentagon budget, and to make it easier to deploy troops anywhere in the country. In fact, next time you are on the interstate system, you'll notice that every three miles, there is a one mile straightway of pavement. This was constructed so that an airplane could land safely anywhere necessary in the country.
So, while today we honor those who made great sacrifices, even the most supreme in the name of freedom, it is likewise important that we remember Waco,and the fact that those in control could just as easily turn those fine soldiers onto their fellow citizens. Does anyone doubt for even a minute, that Barack Obama would hesitate?
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