First, I think of my father who was in the air force during the Korean War. My uncle who was in the Navy during WWII. And my other uncle who was an army ranger during WWII who earlier this year was named a "Chevalier of the Legion of Honor in France" by the president of France - a title roughly equivalent to English knighthood.
There are so many others in so many different conflicts and during the times between conflicts. Men and women who stand and fight for freedom, for justice, and for selfless ideals for the betterment of others. Most people are not so noble, not so courageous, and not so selfless as to risk it all for the sake of nameless and faceless neighbors and fellow Americans, many of whom are not even grateful anymore.
And I try to not think about the countless ignorant masses that stand in the shelter of the blood of others and yell obscenities at them for spilling blood. Our soldiers are there doing their job not because they are war-mongers, but because there are war-mongers out there that have no intention of compromising or negotiating. Some people never understand this. They still live in the kindergarten of life and cannot conceive that someone may actually not relent when told to.
I just hope that the youth of today learn to understand that if you do not stand and fight, you will fall and kneel. Freedom was not given. It was fought for and taken. Let us not be so willing to give it up merely for comfort of body or pretense of conscience.
Americans must either stand now, or kneel later. There are no alternatives to these paths. Choose wisely.
Copyright 2009, Kevin Farley (a.k.a. sixdrift, a.k.a. neuronstatic)
