Sunday, May 27, 2007

Thoughts on (almost) Memorial Day

This morning on my jog, I remembered a stand up routine that comedian Bill Maher performed. This routine was performed back when reality television shows were popular and the Iraq war had recently started but was well underway. Mr. Maher commented that the News programs show the heroism, bravery and selfless acts that our troops perform at the request of our Nation’s leaders. Flip the channel and contrast this with what you see on reality television. You see pettiness, childishness and selfishness. Mr. Maher then asks, “Why is the first group of people defending the second group of people.”

This Memorial Day means a little bit more to me than those in the past because someone near my age who graduated from my high school went to Iraq and did not make it back. This person had goals and dreams that he will not realize because he put the duty to serve his Country ahead of his own interests. Everyone who puts on the military uniform has made this same decision. Whatever our leaders ask them to do, our troops do it. If our Nation’s leaders were to ask our troops to invade Canada, they will invade Canada. Therefore, it is our job to make sure our troops are not being taken for granted. We should question are leaders, particularly when they spew propaganda such as “our freedom is a risk” when they really mean “our oil supply is at risk.” Our troops cannot criticize our government; that is a job that we must do for them.

With the state of Walter Reed Hospital, the lies surrounding the death of Pat Tillman and the stress placed on our troops and their families by overstretching our military, there is much we have to do for them.

0 comments: