something to say

you don't see me getting political or controversial here very often. stands to reason since i don't do that "in real life" much either. but i heard something that i feel the need to speak out on.

i think we (as a generalization) have forgotten why we have our men & women over in the Middle East. we talk about how we should or shouldn't be "over there". c'mon. do you really think these men & women WANT to be there, in the armpit of the world, where they have been fighting amongst themselves since the beginning of time?? whether we agree with the way things are handled over there or the duration of time we have been there is not the topic here--and really until we are world leaders & military decision-makers ourselves, i don't know that the general public ever comprehends how & why these decisions are reached. and no matter what they decide to do over there, someone is going to have a problem with it. not my point. my point is WHY we are there in the first place which has apparently gotten lost over passing time.

we aren't there because we feel like imposing democracy & freedom upon unwilling peoples. we are there defending our own rights & freedoms. whether they want to or not, our military personnel receive orders & they go. they go put their lives on the line so that you, at your computer or at your job or on your vacation at Disney World, can lead a life that isn't haunted by the shadow of impending terrorism day after day. they are there not to wield power over the Middle East but because a group of religious extremists came HERE, to OUR COUNTRY, and flew OUR JETS, filled with OUR INNOCENT PEOPLE, into OUR BUILDINGS, filled with MORE OF OUR INNOCENT PEOPLE. here. in this great country. where we have had "outside invaders"...what...4 times over the course of our history? the Revolutionary War? the Alamo? Pearl Harbor? 9/11? how many more can you think of?

seriously. when i hear people saying our armed forces have no business over there it makes me seething angry. we should be thanking these men & women for selflessly putting themselves in harm's way trying to reassure that we won't have to worry about terrorist acts every day of our lives. how would you feel if it was your son or daughter, husband or wife,father or mother, brother or sister, lover or friend? you would be proud that they have so much pride & honor that they are willing to DIE to keep their country safe...and every night you would pray that they wouldn't have to make that ultimate sacrifice...

the unofficial motto of the Marine Corps is: "We sleep soundly in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence upon those who would do us harm." but it applies to all our armed forces. we sleep soundly...and we judge...we judge the very people who risk their lives to protect your "right to judge". and we conveniently forget in light of our own inexperienced opinions of how the War on Terror whould be handled, instead of just saying thank you to the men & women who protect everything you have as an American. and yep that pisses me off. (edit to add: i expect people to have varying opinions. i just don't get how we condemn our troops for serving their country--volunteer or draft. disagree with the government. disagree with what we're doing. but support your troops & be proud of the fact that they would give their life to defend this country because they're asked to.)

i leave you with some words from Darryl Worley's song "Have Your Forgotten?" & "American Soldier" by Toby Keith:

I've been there with the soldiers
Who've gone away to war
And you can bet that they remember
Just what they're fighting for
(Have You Forgotten)

I'm just trying to be a father
Raise a daughter and a son
Be a lover to their mother
Everything to everyone
Up and at 'em bright and early
I'm all business in my suit
Yeah, I'm dressed up for success from my head down to my boots
I don't do it for money, there's bills that I can't pay
I don't do it for the glory
I just do it anyway
Providing for our future's my responsibility
Yeah I'm real good under pressure, being all that I can be
And I can't call in sick on Mondays when the weekends been too strong
I just work straight through the holidays
And sometimes all night long
You can bet that I stand ready when the wolf growls at the door
Hey, I'm solid, hey I'm steady, hey I'm true down to the core
And I will always do my duty, no matter what the price
I've counted up the cost
I know the sacrafice
Oh, and I don't want to die for you
But if dyin's asked of me
I'll bear that cross with an honor
'Cause freedom don't come free
I'm an American soldier, an American
Beside my brothers and my sisters I will proudly take a stand
When Liberty's in jeopardy I will always do what's right
I'm out here on the front lines, sleep in peace tonight
I'm an American, an American Soldier
(American Soldier)