I wanted to take a few moments from the cookouts and a three-day weekend to give a deep, heartfelt thanks to the men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure the freedoms we U.S. citizens enjoy every day of the year. The ability to sit here at a keyboard and write virtually anything my heart desires is a privilege and right that was secured by the blood, sweat, tears, and unfortunately the death of countless untold service members.
I am not one to support the blind, fanatical patriotism, or an unhealthy dose of nationalism. There is a multitude of concerns I have with our government. Our politicians, for the most part, are morally bankrupt thugs at best and at worst some of the most diabolical criminals to ever walk the face of the earth. We do an absolute shameful job of taking care of our most fragile and vulnerable citizens. It is a travesty and injustice of the highest order in the way we treat the men and women who have been injured(visible and unseen) serving our country. That in no way takes away from the honor and respect that is due to the memory of all of the selfless servants who have fallen.
They did not go to war because a certain politician made a campaign promise. They did not sleep in mud and sweat blood because a liberal hated a conservative, or vice versa. It wasn’t out of political party loyalty that so many marched to their certain death. These brave men and women did so because of you and me. They did not give a second thought to the sacrifice they, and their family would have to endure because of the love and admiration they had for their fellow man and for our society. They chose to make the ultimate sacrifice to ensure that our freedoms were secure. They were not fighting for a Republican or a Democrat. They were following orders in the hopes that it would solidify and brighter future for their moms and dads, their sons and daughters, for you and me.
We don’t have to support war or celebrate aggression against another nation. We should hold the politicians accountable for logistical mistakes that kill civilians. We don’t have to be proud of some of the choices our nation has made. But we owe a debt of gratitude and respect to the men and woman who laid down their lives so others would not have to. We should fall on our knees and thank the Almighty himself that he had the courage and wisdom to create these sheepdogs, these Rough Men at the Ready to do violence on our behalf. We should shake the hands of the fathers and a lay a gentle kiss on the cheeks of the mothers who have given us their precious children to secure the society we enjoy so freely.
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Originally published on steemit
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Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash